My sentimental vampire
by thepinkcupcake
Summary: Charlie dies a year after Edward leaves in New Moon. Bella inherits her great-grandfathers home in Chicago and all of his worldly possessions. Imagine her surprise when she discovers that Edward and her great-grandfather had been friends. Full summary inside. Rated M for language and lemons. B/E eventually.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Charlie dies a year after Edward leaves in New Moon. Bella inherits her great-grandfathers home in Chicago and all of his worldly possessions. Imagine her surprise when she discovers that Edward and her great-grandfather had been friends.**

**Throughout this story, Bella is going to really delve into Edwards past. She's going to discover some of his human possessions and really learn what it would have been like to grow up in Edwards era. After realising that Edward lied to her, she's going to do everything she can to find him and bring him home.  
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** HEA guaranteed B/E eventually. Rated M for lemons and language.**

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Chicago. That's where I had found myself after Charlie was killed on duty a month ago. I had been at home with Renee when the call came. He had pulled someone over to let them know that their brake lights weren't working. He hadn't known that the car was actually stolen – he hadn't known that the driver was wanted for armed robbery... just like he hadn't known that the driver was _still_ armed. Charlie had taken a single shot to the chest and had been left to bleed to death at the side of the road.. all alone.

His lawyer had tracked me down and asked me to attend the reading of my fathers will. Their firm was based in Chicago, where my ancestors were from originally. It was also where my Edward was from...

My heart clenched painfully at the thought of his name and I scolded myself for even thinking of him. I wrapped my arms around my chest and sighed. He had been gone for nearly a year now... and he wasn't coming back. I knew this, but my heart still refused to let him go.

"Miss Swan?"

I was pulled from my reverie when an elderly man appeared from his office and gestured for me to go inside. Scooping up my bag, I stumbled into the old office and took a seat in front of the large, mahogany desk.

"Miss Swan, my name is Edgar Bloom. Firstly, please accept my condolences on the untimely passing of your father. These are terrible times we live in," he whispered.

I nodded and managed a small smile, though it probably seemed like more of a grimace. "Thank you."

"As you are aware, I have asked you to come here today to hear the last known wishes of Charles Swan. Your family have been clients of this company for over a hundred years, my dear – and _you_ are now the last remaining client of the Swan family."

I wanted to snarl at him for being so insensitive. Who points out something like that to a grieving person? I would have done it too, if I hadn't seen the genuinely saddened expression on the old mans face.

"I understand that this is going to be difficult for you my dear, so I shall keep it short and make it as simple as I can. You have inherited a great sum of money, Miss Swan... and you are now the owner of two properties in America."

"Two?" I questioned.

"Yes, my dear. Your fathers home in Forks, Washington now belongs to you – but you have also inherited one here, in Chicago. It belonged to your great-grandparents. It is a very grand estate - it was passed down to your father, but he held no interest in living there. He made it clear that the home was to be passed to you and that you should do with it as you wished. You may live in it, or sell it – it really is entirely up to you." He murmured.

I nodded, finding myself unable to speak. Charlie had never mentioned any other property in Chicago. I knew that he had been raised here... but I didn't know that he still owned the original house...

"We must also talk about the money that has been gifted to you, my dear. I shall not mince my words – I will be crediting your bank account with a fortune of over nine million dollars. It has been kept in a trust fund, but once again, your father refused it – wanting it to be passed onto you."

The world began to spin and I gripped onto the chair, praying that I wouldn't pass out in this office.

"I realise that this is a lot to take in... would you perhaps like to take a little break?" The man asked kindly.

"N-No. I'm fine," I managed to stutter. He smiled, sympathetically and pulled out a large envelope.

"These are the keys to your new home – it isn't too far from here, though I would suggest taking a taxi. Chicago is a big place and I would hate to think of you getting lost. I've put the directions inside the envelope, just in case," he smiled.

I took the letter with shaky hands and clasped it to my chest. He continued to speak for several more minutes, but I had zoned out completely by this point. I was vaguely aware of signing something and walking out of the office, but I couldn't tell you which direction I was heading in.

A car sounded its horn loudly and I realised that I had been about to step out into a busy road. _Stupid Bella. _I shook my head and pulled out my phone, plugging the address to my new home into the route planner. I turned around when I realised that I had been walking in entirely to wrong direction and stumbled back the way I had come.

After ten minutes of walking gently – the hubbub of the main road was miles behind me and I found myself strolling along a beautiful suburban street. Old fashioned lamps lit the sidewalk that trailed next to a myriad of stunning old houses.

The further I walked, the quieter the road became until eventually, only two houses were visible. Both were equally stunning in their own way. I checked the address again and grinned when I realised that one of these was now _mine. _The house was pale blue and obscenely large. A pretty white wrap-around porch dominated the building. I gently pushed open the gate and walked into the overgrown yard – it looked as though it hadn't been cared for in years...

I slipped the key into the lock and stepped inside. One glance around the entrance and I felt as though I had been swept back in time. All of the furniture seemed to be antique – at least a hundred years old. I timidly stepped into the living room, opening the old curtains as I went. Tears fell freely down my face as I took in the beautiful home that my great-grandfather had provided for me.

A old fashioned grand piano dominated the room. I didn't know how to play, but I wouldn't be getting rid of it – it was stunning. It was happily situated on a massive Persian rug that was probably as old as my great-grandfather himself.

A gramophone, a wind up telephone, a large writing desk with leather inserts... these were just some of the treasures that had been hidden away in this house for a century. Old fashioned photographs lined the walls and I smiled as I saw pictures of Charlie as a child.

Next to it was a picture of my great-grandfather standing in front of this very house. He couldn't have been more than eighteen in the photo. His smile was dazzling and his features so much like Charlie. His arm was slung over a boy of a similar age who was grinning widely at the camera.

My heart began to beat out a frantic staccato pace when I saw his hauntingly recognizable features. His hair, his eyes – everything about him was familiar. I gripped onto the wall for support as I gazed at a photo that must have sat here for ninety years... a photo of _Edward Cullen_. Sobs wrenched through my frame as I mourned the loss of this beautiful human boy. After all, this wasn't my Edward. This wasn't Edward Cullen at all.

No, this was Edward Masen.

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**AN: I know it's a bit short - it was just a sample really. Let me know if it's worth continuing or not :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you for all the lovely reviews on the last chapter... and for all the follows and favourites... it really means a lot! I hadn't expected so many of you to read it! There won't be much dialogue in the next few chapters. Bella is all alone in Chicago and will be spending a lot of time exploring at the house... so apologies. I literally wrote this an hour ago and I don't have a Beta so please excuse any poor grammar or spellings etc. I'll edit it in a couple of days. Anyway, let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy it!**

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My hands shook as they grasped the photo frame and I sank to the floor, unable to take my eyes off of Edward's face for even a moment. For an entire year, I had longed to see him just _once_ more – this picture was so much more than I had ever dared to hope for. Even though I couldn't have Edward, I could hold onto the memory of him which would be forever preserved in this innocuous picture.

I don't know how long I sat there, but eventually the room grew too dark for me to be able to make out Edward's features, so I placed the picture onto the coffee table and stood up on reluctant, shaky legs. My breath stuttered from my body and I willed myself to get a grip. My eyes wanted to drift back to the picture, but I scrunched them shut, refusing to even glance at it. It was too much... there was no way that this picture was of my Edward. I'm just seeing what I want to see. I've finally lost my mind...

_But Edward did live in Chicago as a child..._

I shook my head, ignoring my inner monologue and fumbled along the wall, trying to find the light switch. I flicked it on and grimaced at the torrential rain that was beating rhythmically onto the street. I would need to leave soon if I wanted to be at the airport in time for my flight home. Now I would have to find my way back in an unfamiliar city, in the dark and the rain. I scolded myself for ever coming here in the first place– apparently this house would be the catalyst for the mental breakdown that had been threatening since Edward had left.

A tiny scream escaped my lips when my cell began to ring in my pocket, disturbing the quiet innocence of the house. It seemed wrong to have something so modern in a place like this. I fumbled for it and rejected the incoming call without even glancing at the screen. I didn't need to see who was calling. Renee was the only person who ever spoke to me any more. It was the reminder that I needed to make me leave though. I flicked the light switch once more, plunging the house into darkness and grabbed the keys. I didn't look back as I walked out the door and onto the porch. After quickly locking up, I threw my hood over my head and hunched my shoulders as I stumbled down the path in the furious downpour.

I stumbled down the street, grateful for the old fashioned lamps that lit my way. This whole area was so quiet, that not a single car passed me until I made it back to the law firm. Strangely, though. I didn't once feel uneasy – even though I was alone. Something about this neighbourhood simply felt _safe. _I waved down the first taxi I came across and staggered into it.

"You okay lady? You're drenched..." I raised my head and glanced at the driver. He seemed genuinely concerned about me and I realised that I must look terrible. What sort of sane person wanders around at night time in the pouring rain.

"I'm fine," I reassured him, "but thanks."

"Sure. Where am I taking you?"

I opened my mouth to tell him to take me to the airport, but the words died on my lips. The idea of leaving Chicago upset me and I didn't know why. I had been through so much in the last year and honestly, I was just mentally _exhausted. _I was so tired of pretending to be okay for Renee's sake. I was worn out, drained and weary and the idea of going back to Florida and pretending that Charlie's death hadn't crushed me was abhorrent. I just didn't have the energy to act like I was okay any more.

I thought of the grand house that Thomas Swan had owned and smiled. I didn't have to leave, did I? I owned that house now. I had no intention of going to college any more and thanks to Charlie, I was a paper millionaire. If I stayed here, Renee would be able to follow Phil around the country as often as she liked... and me? I would get the one thing I had wanted for almost a year now – to be left alone.

"Miss?" The driver prompted again. I shook my head and smiled at him, trying to alleviate his growing concern.

"Sorry, my head is a complete mess," I apologised. "I literally just moved to Chicago this morning and I got a little lost. Is there a mall near here that would still be open?"

"Sure, there's one right around the corner," he grinned. He pulled out into the road and seemed much happier now that he knew that I wasn't completely crazy. We pulled over less than a minute later and I laughed, loudly.

"You weren't kidding about it being around the corner!"

"No ma'am. Listen, do me a favour will you? Chicago isn't the sort of place where you can walk around at night. It's dangerous kid – so take a taxi home, okay?"

I nodded and paid the fair, before sliding out of the cab.

"Oh, and welcome to Chicago," he grinned. He waved as he drove away and once he was out of sight, I sped inside the huge glass doors and shook the worst of the rain from my hair. The security guards gave me dubious looks and I shrugged apologetically. It was _raining..._ what was I supposed to do? After glancing at the little map on the display board, I found a home store which should sell everything I need for the house.

I grabbed a cart and started in the first aisle. To be honest, I didn't have a clue what I was going to need to survive in that house. I had only seen the living room – for all I knew, there was no furniture upstairs at all. I grimaced at the idea of sleeping on the floor, but honestly it seemed more pleasant than going back to Renee and plastering a fake smile on my face. I decided that the most important thing right now was comfort – I could worry about style when I knew what I needed. I picked up lots of blankets and pillows and threw them into the cart. In the next aisle I found light bulbs and candles. By the time I reached the final row, my cart was overflowing and I knew that I wouldn't be able to carry any more.

I tried not to grimace at the price of everything as it was scanned by a preppy teenager at the counter. I was a millionaire now – I didn't need to worry about things like this any more.

_That's going to take some getting used to, Bella..._

I managed to persuade the security guards to let me leave my cart with them while I ran into the Thrift way to get some groceries. The price in here was even worse because I had literally needed _everything_. There was absolutely no food at the house and I didn't want to have to rely on take-outs. I pushed the heavy thing over to the security guards who were eyeing me like I was crazy.

"Is there a sale on that I don't know about?" The middle aged guard asked.

"Er, no... I literally just moved here and I don't have anything at the house, so..." I trailed off.

"So is this it? Or are you done now?" He chuckled.

"Actually, I just have _one_ more store to go to," I apologised. He gestured for me to do what I needed to do and I grinned as I sped into the first clothes store I could see. I hadn't brought anything with me – I was only supposed to be in Chicago for a couple of hours. As far as Renee was concerned, I was supposed to be boarding a flight back to Florida right now. I filled one more cart to the brim and didn't even flinch at the price this time... and believe me, that was _very_ unlike me.

I pushed it back to the guard who was chuckling at me; "All done now?"

I nodded and pushed my hands into my pockets, feeling embarrassed; "All finished. I just need to get it into a taxi," I explained.

"You wait here," he offered. "I'll hail one and load it up for you."

I was going to thank him, but he was out of his cabin and off into the rain far faster than a man of his age should be able to move. Once all the carts were wheeled outside, he waved his hands and beckoned me to follow him. It was still pouring down outside and I shivered as the rain soaked into my damp clothes again.

"Thank you so much for helping," I grinned. He waved me off and ran back into his cabin out of the rain. I didn't hesitate as I jumped into the cab – I muttered my new address to the driver and sat back as he turned the heat on for me. I grimaced when he pulled up outside the house. I really didn't want to get out of his lovely warm car. With a groan, I pushed the door open and helped the driver to run everything from the trunk onto my porch. He didn't linger once I had paid him – he simply drove off, leaving me standing in the dark, on one of the quietest streets in the world.

I wasted no time in pushing the front door open and dragging my bags inside. As soon as the hallway light was on, I locked the front door again and pulled one of my new towels from the bags. I dried my hair as best as I could before going off in search of the kitchen. I was too excited to eat right now, but I wanted to get the groceries put away before the food spoiled.

I remembered from my last visit that the living room had been on the right of the immense entrance, so I crossed the hallway and pushed open the door on my left. My breath huffed out of me in a quiet pant when my eyes found the kitchen. Where the living room had been like something out of an old book, the kitchen was _modern. _It was vast in size and seemed to be stocked with the very best appliances available. The whole room was immaculate and I wondered, idly, if Charlie had hired a cleaning service to keep the house up while no one lived in it. A shiver ripped through my frame and I wasted no time in putting everything away. What I needed now more than anything was a hot shower and some dry clothes. I could go exploring after that.

I left the kitchen, reluctantly and went back into the hallway to grab the bathroom essentials and new towels. The grand staircase that led off the hallway was a little daunting in the darkness, but the thought of a shower killed any fear that I may have had. I forced myself up the stairs and began opening each door I came across.

The first door had belonged to a brilliant study area, but I resisted the temptation to peek any further. The next room was a bedroom, so I walked inside, noting the gorgeous four-poster bed that dominated the room. The furniture wouldn't have looked out of place a hundred years ago and I smiled as I realised that this house could have been designed with me in mind. It was stunning. I actually groaned when I found the adjoining en-suite. Elegant white marble covered the room from floor to ceiling and I couldn't suppress my grin when I saw the power shower that had been installed. That _certainly_ wasn't a hundred years old.

I felt much better after washing my hair and changing into some of the new sweats I had bought at the mall. I dried my hair again with the towel and stumbled back down the stairs as I looked for the thermostat. This house was _freezing_ – or maybe I had just been out in the rain too long. Either way, I needed to turn the heat on and _fast. _

I walked into the living room, hoping to find the dial on the wall and stopped mid-step when I saw the familiar photo frame on the coffee table. Without my permission, my feet moved towards it and my hands picked it up. My heart raced when I looked at him... I wanted to deny that it was Edward... but I just _couldn't. _I wanted to pretend that I was going insane, but I knew that I wasn't. This _was_ him. How had I nearly walked away from this? I had so nearly boarded that plane without a backwards glance.

I slumped down onto the sofa and tried to control the tears that were threatening to spill from my tired eyes. Whether I wanted it to be true or not, my Edward had been friends with Thomas Swan – _good_ friends judging by their body language. They seemed completely at ease with one another as they stood grinning into the camera, arm in arm. Unable to fight it any longer, I curled into a ball and sobbed _gut_ wrenching cries as my arms wrapped protectively around myself. The searing pain in my chest that was always present threatened to tear me open as I thought about my love. This photo was all I would ever have of him, now.

_But what if it's not? What if there are more photos around the house?_

That single thought was enough to dry my tears. I pulled myself off the sofa at lightening speed and grabbed my phone. I would need the flash on my camera as a torch until I could change some of the broken lights around the house. I took a deep, calming breath as I realised the enormity of what I was about to do.

If Thomas and Edward had been so close, then surely he would have more than _one_ little picture, right? I didn't allow myself to dwell on the thought that there may be nothing else. I would deal with that if it happened. Right now, I had a plan and nothing was going to stop me. I was going exploring. I was going to find out everything I could about Edward Masen.

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**AN: I had no idea how hard it would be writing from an American perspective! I'm British and absolutely everything we say is different. You say 'Neighbor', we say 'Neighbour'. You say 'jelly', we say 'jam'. You say 'mom', we say 'mum'. You say 'mall', we say 'shopping centre.' You say 'groceries,' we say 'food'. You say 'cart', we say 'trolley.' It's all a little different, so I apologise if I get anything wrong. I'm trying, but I'm bound to mess it up at some point... if I haven't already :-) **

**Let me know what you think and THANK YOU for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks once again for all of the reviews and favourites. It really means a lot! I literally wrote this chapter an hour ago, so my apologies for any spelling mistakes... it's nearly one in the morning where I am, so I'm off to bed - but I hope that you enjoy the next chapter! Please review :-)**

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I worked painstakingly throughout the night, only pausing to refill my coffee every hour or so in a vain attempt to stay awake. The early morning sun was streaming through the windows, forcing me to rub my tired eyes, shielding them from the vicious light. I placed the few letters I had found on the table and groaned. I hadn't eaten or slept in twenty-four hours and I was beginning to feel it.

The sound of an engine running outside drew me from my reverie and I pushed myself off the floor and stumbled out into the front yard. A middle aged man in a cheap suit walked out of the old house across the street and sighed as he mopped his damp forehead. His head snapped up as he heard me walking towards him.

"Hello," I smiled. "I'm Bella. I just moved in across the street."

"Stanley Marsh," he wheezed. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I don't actually live here," he gestured to the old house. "I'm a realtor. A young couple just came to view the place."

I suppressed a small groan at the thought. I had been so excited to live alone out here – I really didn't want to have to deal with new neighbours any time soon.

"Oh? What did they think of the place?" I hedged.

"The same as everyone else, I expect. They fell in love with it from the outside and ran once they saw the interior," he grumbled.

"Does it need a lot of work or something?" I asked in confusion. The old house seemed okay to be – it was beautiful, in fact.

"No, no – not at all. It's a lovely home..." he trailed off.

"I don't understand," I admitted honestly. The man sighed and ran his hand through his thinning hair as he glanced back at the house.

"You're going to think that I'm crazy," he whispered. "A lot of strange things keep happening in that house."

"Like what?"

"Well, every time I show someone around the place, things seem to... _move... _we keep seeing strange patterns on the walls, too. They never last long enough for anyone to take a picture, but we've all seen them._"_

I raised my eyebrows at him in obvious disbelief and he shoved his hands into his pockets as he scowled at me.

"You don't have to believe me, Miss. The figures speak for themselves. This house is on the market for half of it's value and we still can't sell it."

"How long has it been for sale?"

"Over ten years now," he whispered. I balked at him, waiting for him to smile, but he didn't. He was absolutely serious. I looked back at the house but saw nothing out of place. Nothing seemed to be _moving_ at least.

"Can I take a look inside?" I asked. I had no idea what made me say those words, but a thrill of intrigue was leading me towards the old home. I wanted to see this for myself – after all, I was the one who had to live _next_ to it. If it was haunted, I deserved some prior warning.

"If you like. I have to call the office, so I'll wait out here." He murmured. I chuckled at his poor excuse and wondered just what had scared this man so much that he wouldn't set foot in the place unless he absolutely had to.

The front door was already open, allowing me to walk straight into the main entrance. The dark panelled flooring was exactly like my own and I wondered if anyone out here ever modernised their homes? I stepped timidly into the living room and realised that this house was almost an exact replica of _my_ home... even down to the hundred year old furniture.

I had barely stepped into the room before I heard a huge crash coming from upstairs. My heart sped up, instinctively and I was eternally grateful that the realtor was just outside the front door. Not that he would be ale to protect me – the poor man was too scared to even come inside. I took a deep, calming breath and reminded myself that ghosts didn't exist. If they did, my Edward would have seen them – after all, he had massively advanced sight.

"There's no such thing as ghosts," I whispered to the empty room. A hollow chuckle sounded right behind my left ear and I squealed as I spun around... but there was no one there.

I had barely turned back again when one of the dining chairs sped across the room and slammed into the wall – all by itself. I wanted to scream, but I knew that there was no point. I had dealt with so much of the supernatural world in the last two years, that I _knew_ that I had no chance of fighting whatever was moving the furniture.

"There's no such thing as ghosts," I repeated with far more conviction than I really felt.

A huge picture frame was torn from the wall and landed with a thud on the floor behind me. The banging upstairs was now constant and deafening. With every second that I stood there, it sounded as though it was coming closer – as though someone was coming down the stairs and heading straight towards me.

I spun on my heel and sped into the hallway again, planning on running out the front door. I didn't look at the stairs as I passed them, not wanting to see what was coming for me. I was less than a meter away from the front door when I paused. The picture frame that had been torn from the wall was laying in a crumpled heap by the front door. The casing was broken and the glass had shattered, but none of this was what caused me to stop.

I ignored the ear-splitting banging which was right behind me now and bent down to retrieve the large canvas. I knew that I needed to run... I could hear someone breathing right behind my ear again – but I was paralysed on the spot. My hand ran over the canvas and my fingers caressed the one face that could soothe me.

"Edward," I breathed.

A sharp intake of breath came from behind me and I spun around, wanting to confront my captor – but once again, there was no one there. I clutched the canvas to my chest and timidly walked back into the living room. The banging had stopped, now – and there was no one in sight, so I moved towards the dining table tentatively, as though any sudden movements would rouse the 'ghost' once more. I breathed more freely once I realised that I had been in here for a few minutes, now and no one had tried to attack me again.

I placed the canvas down on the table and gently tipped the broken glass onto the floor. I then pulled away the crumpled frame, protecting the picture from any further damage. My fingers once again stroked his face on instinct and my breath stuttered in my chest as I desperately held back my tears. The black and white photo had obviously been enlarged at some point because I could clearly make out the man I loved in the picture. He was sitting on a chair in front of his parents, who were beaming at him, proudly.

"You're the image of your father," I whispered to the empty room.

I don't know how long I stood there, staring at the ninety year old picture of my love, but eventually I managed to look away. My eyes travelled across the wall and widened when I saw what was covering the garish wallpaper. _Diamonds_. Thousand of tiny diamonds glittered across the room, all shimmering, brilliantly. My mind immediately recalled what the realtor had said earlier on;

'_We keep seeing strange patterns on the walls, too...'_

The realtor had been right to fear these patterns, for they were not cast by a ghost or a spirit. This wasn't trickery or an optical illusion. No – this was what happened each time the sun reflected off the Cullen's skin.

_There's a vampire here..._

My heart thrummed in my chest and I didn't know whether to be frightened or excited. I quickly peeked outside and saw that the realtor was still talking animatedly on his cell. Once I was certain that he was occupied, I opened the back door and stepped out into the immense yard. I couldn't see the vampire – but they were there. I could still see the diamond patterns of the wall.

"Edward?" I whispered, quietly. "If you can hear me, bang something again..."

I waited, losing hope with every second that passed, until eventually, another crash sounded from somewhere in the trees. My heart beat was furious now as I realised that he was _here. _He was actually here in Chicago...

"Are you deliberately trying to keep people away from the house? Is that why you're pretending that it's haunted?" I hedged.

Another bang crashed from the _other_ side of the garden this time. I drew in another shaky breath and tried to find his hiding place. I knew that he couldn't come out in the sunshine in front of the realtor, but surely he would let _me_ see him?

"Do you want me to get rid of the realtor?" I whispered once more. A final crash sounded from the left again and I nodded, knowing that he was watching me – even if I couldn't see _him. _I raced back into the house and walked out into the front yard where Stanley Marsh was waiting impatiently by his car.

"Everything okay?" He questioned. I smiled at him, reassuringly and he huffed out a relieved breath.

"Yes, everything was fine. I have no idea what strange noises you have been hearing, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary to me," I lied.

"Really?" He muttered sarcastically, obviously not believing a word I was saying. I blushed and shook my head. I had always been a terrible liar.

"How much is the owner asking for the place?" I asked, ignoring his comment completely.

"Two-fifty," he muttered. "Like I said, it's less than half what it _should _be worth..."

I glanced back at the house and remembered that I was supposed to be getting him to _leave_, not asking him twenty questions.

"Okay, well thanks for letting me look around," I smiled. I walked off towards my own house and closed the door behind me. As soon as I heard his car pull off down the road, I threw the door open once more and stepped back inside, knowing that I was about to see my Edward again. My eyes remained firmly fixed to the floor as I heard gentle movement in front of me.

_He's here!_

I drew in a massive breath and forced my eyes to raise. My hand flew to my mouth and my heart skipped a beat as I gazed into a pair of hauntingly familiar topaz eyes. His hair, his easy smile – everything about him was recognisable. Yet, it was also completely different. He looked _older_ – but that was impossible... wasn't it?

"Excuse me, my dear – but have we met?"

I gripped onto the table for support as I realised what was happening. Less than two yards from me stood Edward Masen. He was immortal and brilliant... and next to him, was his dazzlingly beautiful wife, Elizabeth.

The room began to spin and I felt my mind growing hazy. As the world began to darken, one single thought ran through my mind over and over.

Edwards parents are here... and they're _vampires. _

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**AN: So? What did you think? Hopefully you enjoyed it! Next chapter will be posted tomorrow :-)**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thank you so much for all of the lovely reviews on the last chapter! It was lovely to find so many kind message on my lap top this morning! The story will be picking up a bit now, so hold onto your hats! I'll see you at the bottom :-)**

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I rolled onto my side and sighed as I felt something soft caress my face. I didn't remember taking a nap, but apparently I had. I wasn't too surprised. After all, I hadn't slept in over a day.

"I didn't mean to frighten the poor girl. Do you think she's okay?"

"She'll be just fine, sweetheart. See? She's coming around now."

I inhaled sharply when I heard their concerned, hushed voices and memories of the last half hour flooded the confines of my mind.

_The Masen's!_

I wrenched my eyes open and scanned the unfamiliar room, frantically. My eyes immediately fell onto the topaz eyed angel who was stroking my hand rhythmically as she watched me with a concerned expression on her face.

"You h-have to find him," I stammered urgently. "You have to g-get to him. He doesn't know. He thinks... he t-thinks you're _dead..."_ I desperately tried to convey the importance of my message, but Elizabeth simply hushed me and pushed me back onto the couch.

"Hush now – you had a nasty tumble. Rest for a minute," she crooned.

"N-no you don't understand. He needs you... you have to go to him!" I begged. I realised that I must have sounded crazy, but they weren't listening to me! Mr Masen exchanged an uneasy glance with his wife before crouching down in front of the love seat that Elizabeth was still pinning me to, gently.

"I think that perhaps you had better start from the beginning, my dear," Mr. Masen smiled. I gave one short bob of the head and drew in a shaky breath, willing myself not to be sick. How was I supposed to tell them? How would I ever find the appropriate words? I drew strength from that fact that this wasn't _bad_ news... it was just _huge. _I felt like an intruder on a family moment. Edward deserved a sweet reunion with his parents – something they would reminisce over in a thousand years. I didn't want to be retold as the mumbling human who Edward had never loved. If I could have let anyone else tell them this news, I would have. I would have walked away from this in an instant.

_But this isn't about you so suck it up, Swan!_

"My name is Isabella Swan," I whispered. "... and I... I know your _son_."

Elizabeth's sharp intake of breath caused me to look at her, finally. Her face was tense and pained and she was wringing her hands together in front of her body. Edward senior pulled his wife into his side and rubbed her arm soothingly.

"I'm sorry, my dear – but that isn't possible," he murmured.

The pain that was etched onto each of their faces was palpable and I knew that what I was about to tell them would completely alter their entire existence. The thought warmed me and gave me the courage to find the words I needed.

"Edward Anthony Masen," I whispered. "Born June 20, 1901."

Elizabeth muffled her dry sob by gripping her face with both of her tiny hands. She looked as though she was in agony at the mere mention of his name. I knew all too well how _that_ felt...

"You last saw him in 1918 in a hospital here in Chicago. You were sick... Spanish Influenza."

"How do you know this?" Mr. Masen asked. His voice sounded tense and strained, as though each word was painful to him.

"He told me – Edward told me... your son..."

"I don't understand," Elizabeth whimpered as she gripped onto the front of her husbands shirt. I ignored Mr. Masen's quiet growl as I approached his wife and crouched down in front of her, taking both of her cold hands into my own.

"Edward isn't dead, Mrs. Masen. I swear it..." I tired to convey the truth of my statement with my eyes.

"Stop it," Edward senior groaned. "I don't know how you have discovered so much about my family, but this isn't funny – not at all. What on earth would possess you to speak such terrible falsehoods?" He looked feral, but I knew that he was just _hurting_... they both were.

"I'm not lying," I murmured. "Edward is very much alive. I've seen him with my own eyes, touched him, _spoken_ to him."

Mr Masen looked like he was about to leave the room, but Elizabeth held up her hand to stop him.

"How?" She whispered. The poorly concealed hope on her face gave me the strength I needed. I gripped her tiny hands as tightly as I dared, knowing that nothing would soften the blow I was about to deliver.

"... because Edward is a vampire, too." I whispered. They stared at me in absolute stunned silence, both immovable – like stone. I waited for them to acknowledge my statement, but they didn't. Eventually I decided that the best thing I could do was keep going...

"That's how I knew what you are – _who_ you are. I've seen so many pictures of you..." I trailed off.

"It's not possible..." Elizabeth shook her head, sadly.

I pulled out my cell phone and offered it to her. She took it with shaky hands and whimpered when she saw what I was trying to show her. She sank onto the floor with a soft thud and began to sob, tearlessly. I knew what she was seeing – it was the only proof I had that Edward had ever existed. The background display on my iphone was not a clear picture, in fact to a human, Edward was barely distinguishable.

Alice had once snapped a shot of Edward kissing my temple in the parking lot at school. His face was almost completely concealed by my hair as his lips brushed my features, but it was definitely him. Even from the side you could make out the perfect angle of his jaw... you could see the copper tones to his hair, which was always artfully styled in a messy halo over his head.

Elizabeth passed the phone wordlessly to her husband as her eyes flickered across the wall, unseeingly.

"Oh dear God," Mr. Masen breathed in awe. "My boy..."

His eyes left the phone and stared at me... his hope was poorly disguised as he walked over to the loveseat and crouched down next to his wife.

"Tell me everything," he whispered. "_Please_..." His plea was desperate and I couldn't stand to look at the tortured expression on his face. My eyes found my lap as I spoke. My voice sounded detached and monotone even to my ears.

"I first met Edward in Washington about eighteen months ago," I whispered. "I moved to Forks to live with my father... I had thought that I would _hate_ living in that town. It was always cold and wet – it was in the middle of nowhere... but then on the first day of school, I met Edward."

"At _school?"_ Elizabeth confirmed in disbelief.

"Yes – it was part of his cover story. He was posing as a student." I explained quietly.

"Oh my clever boy," she beamed. "So he was all alone?"

"No, not at all," I smiled. "Edward is part of a coven of seven vampires – all of them share the same diet as you."

"Seven? He found seven others?" Mr. Masen asked. I couldn't work out what the expression in his tone was... maybe shock? Perhaps Disbelief?

"Actually, they sort of found _him_. His sire created most of them." I explained. I realised that I was practically speaking in riddles... I needed to sort my head out and explain this properly.

"Edward was changed in the hospital by a vampire named Carlisle Cullen... he was Edward's -"

" – Doctor," Mr. Masen interrupted me. "He was ours too. He – he bit me and then just... _walked away."_

My gasp of absolute disbelief pierced the quiet room. Carlisle would _never_ do something like that. He must have been mistaken.

"Please, ignore me," Edward senior said as he shook his head. "You were speaking..." he hinted. I took that as my cue to continue my story.

"Carlisle once told me that you had _asked_ him to save Edward, Elizabeth," I whispered. "He told me that you insisted that he do everything in his power to save Edward."

Elizabeth shook her head, her breath huffing from her chest. "I don't remember... the Influenza – my human memories are _vague_..." she whispered.

"It's normal," I explained to her. "My vampires couldn't remember very much before their transformations either – only the most precious memories go with you into your new life."

"What happened after Carlisle Cullen took our Edward?" Mr Masen pressed.

"They left Chicago," I answered. "Carlisle needed to get Edward away from the human populace. He took him to Alaska while Edward struggled through his newborn phase. Carlisle taught him how to hunt animals there, too. Eventually, Carlisle found his mate, Esme. She was dying – her changed her too."

"Oh heavens..." Elizabeth whispered.

"Rosalie was changed after that - then Emmett. They're mated," I explained. "Jasper and Alice found their way to Carlisle in the fifties. He took them in and taught them his diet. They've been with him ever since."

"You're really telling the truth, aren't you?" Elizabeth sobbed.

"I swear it," I vowed. "Edward is alive and well."

"How do _you_ come into all of this?" Mr Masen enquired kindly. "You say that you met Edward at school?"

"Yes," I smiled. "He was there on my very first day. We had an – _interesting –_ introduction. I was Edward's singer. My blood smells more potent to him than any other."

"But he _resisted_ the lure?" Elizabeth whispered in awe. I smiled at her obvious pride – hell I was proud of him too.

"Every day for nine months," I grinned.

"Well done, son," Mr. Masen grinned. Obviously Edward couldn't hear him, but his pride was heart warming to watch nonetheless.

"The story becomes a little _involved_ from here," I hinted. I really didn't want to have to explain that Edward and I had dated – I didn't think that my heart could tolerate it.

"Involved?" Elizabeth questioned. I sighed and wondered just how much I should tell them. I very much doubt that Edward's extremely old fashioned parents would approve of their son climbing into my bedroom window each night – no matter how chaste things were.

"Edward is gifted," I began. "He can read minds – everyone except mine. I'm absolutely silent to him and it garnered his curiosity. He admitted on more than one occasion that this fact was the only thing that kept me alive at first. He was intrigued by me."

"Oh good heavens," Mr. Masen groaned. "I'm so sorry, my dear – I can only apologise on behalf of my son..."

I chuckled at the man, who was practically _squirming_ with discomfort. Apparently his old fashioned mannerisms still wouldn't permit any sort of rudeness towards a lady. He was so much like my Edward...

"Please don't distress yourself, Mr. Masen. I endured enough self loathing from Edward to last a lifetime." I chuckled. My obvious ease seemed to appease him slightly and he gestured with his hand for me to continue.

"We were lab partners in Biology... we sat next to each other for an hour every day. He tried to transfer out of the class, but there were no other open subjects. Edward finally spoke to me on our second meeting when he realised that he couldn't escape me without abandoning his family. We _bonded_ – during that lesson," I offered reluctantly. I wasn't comfortable talking about my relationship with my vampire... not that I had one any more.

"Something about me intrigued him enough that he risked his own exposure to save my life. One of the boys in my class lost control of his van on a patch of ice... Edward didn't bother to conceal his speed or strength as he saved my life. He pushed the van away like it weighed nothing. Thankfully, no one other than his family saw him do it."

"But you did..." Elizabeth hedged.

"Oh yes, I saw everything. It was quite the point of contention between me and your son. He denied everything, trying to save himself from exposure – but it was pointless. I knew by that point that he was different."

"You didn't tell anyone what you saw? Were you not scared?" Mr. Masen asked incredulously. I tilted my chin at the man in Edward's defence. How could I ever be scared of my love?

"Edward saved my life on more than one occasion, Sir. You should be proud of him," I stated a little rudely.

"I am! Good gracious, of _course_ I am. I just find myself surprised is all. Many humans fear us instinctively..." he amended.

_Well I loved Edward, instinctively..._

I didn't say it, but I wanted to, _desperately_. This would all be so much easier to explain if I could have been honest about my feelings for their son, but I wasn't going to do that. I didn't want their pity. I didn't want anyone's pity... and it would be far worse coming from his _parents_ of all people.

"I didn't fear him," I smiled. "His sister Alice was my best friend." I told them. It wasn't a confession of love for Edward, but it would show them just how close I became to the family.

"So what happened? Why are you here and not in Forks with Edward and his coven?" Elizabeth asked.

"They had to leave the area... it wasn't safe for them to be there any more. People were growing suspicious about the fact that Carlisle wasn't aging." I lied. I felt awful for not telling them that Edward and I had been in a relationship, but I just didn't want the extra attention. I had no doubt that they would find out the whole horrible truth when they managed to track down their son.

"Do you know where they went?" Mr. Masen pressed. I shook my head at him, sadly as his hopeful expression diminished.

"They didn't tell me," I whispered. "It was a very abrupt departure. I haven't spoken to anyone in their coven in nearly a year. But there may be a way to find him..."

"How?" Elizabeth asked, her voice frantic.

"The Cullen coven had extended 'family' in Alaska. They followed the same diet. If you want to find Edward, I suggest that you start there. You need to head to Anchorage... you need to find the Denali coven."

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**AN: So there you have it! It wont be long until we're reunited with our lovely Cullen coven. I'm aiming to post a chapter a day, so things may be a little bare for the moment. Once the story is finished, I'll be editing each chapter, filling in the blanks and re-posting it... so thanks for sticking with this version, even though it could be written in a little more detail.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Props to my Hubby for letting me neglect him completely while I wrote this. The chapter after this one will be short... but it will be in Edward's POV. After that will be the big reunion! Thanks again for the awesome feedback! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story! I hope you enjoy this chapter, too!**

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I had expected them to disappear in a flurry as they rushed to pack their things for Alaska, but they stayed firmly at my feet in front of the love seat.

"Will you tell me about him?" Elizabeth asked, quietly. Her expression was so desperate that I found it difficult to maintain eye contact with her. No mother should ever have to listen to a stranger depicting minute details about her son. The whole situation was heart wrenching.

"Of course," I whispered. "Though I imagine that there are others who know him far better than I do." It wasn't a lie, really. Before Edward had left, I would have believed that we shared a bond that no one else could ever come close to – but I had been wrong. He had never even loved me at all….

"It doesn't matter, sweet girl," she crooned. "Any little bit of information is more than I have ever dared to hope for."

I nodded, feeling foolish. Of course she didn't care how insignificant my description was. This was her _son…_ and she had just learned that he had been alive and well all this time.

"Edward is gentle to a fault," I whispered. "I often thought that if he had been a little less polite, he wouldn't have had so many admirers following him around."

"He is popular with the young women then?" Elizabeth smiled. I nodded at her and she giggled. "It was the same when he was human – though he never showed the slightest bit of interest in anyone. It worried me, for a time."

"He isn't mated," I replied, concealing my agony as best as I could. "I guess… he just hasn't found her yet."

"But there's no rush now," she beamed. "He has all of eternity to find her!"

I held back my whimper and swallowed, trying to suppress the lump that had formed in my throat. I needed to get off this subject or I wouldn't be able to hold it together.

"He has an incredible passion for music. He spent many evenings composing on his grand piano – he finds peace in it, I think. Some of his compositions were hauntingly beautiful." I whispered.

"Do you play?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, not at all. I'm not the most coordinated human… Edward often teased me about my inability to walk across a flat, stable surface without tripping over my own feet," I sighed. Mr. Masen chuckled and his wife swatted at him, playfully.

"You sound as though you were quite close to my son," she replied. The subtle raise of her eyebrow was enough to make me recoil. I really didn't want to go down this path…

"We spent a lot of time together," I smiled, dodging her statement entirely. "I was always made to feel welcome at the Cullen home."

She nodded at me and leant closer, as though she were afraid that I would disappear at any moment. The one source she had to her son…

"He is unbelievably fast – the quickest in his coven," I informed her. Visions of running through the forest on his back swamped my mind and I had to pause while I cleared my head. I couldn't afford to think about things like that in front of his parents. I couldn't risk breaking down near them.

"He's nothing like other boys our age," I whispered. "Edward is… very old fashioned."

"How so?" Mr. Masen asked. He hugged his wife a little closer, both of them still sat on the floor at my feet.

"I don't know how well integrated you are into modern society, but generally speaking, teenage males leave a lot to be desired nowadays. I imagine that the majority of them would be shunned from society in _your_ era," I smiled. "Edward hated the lot of them. He was always complaining about being forced to listen to 'insipid teenage minds'. I used to tease him whenever he said 'not in _my_ day.' I used to call him Grandpa. He did_ not_ like that one bit," I chuckled.

Mr. Masen let out a huge guffaw and I knew that he could imagine Edward saying and doing all of those things. He had such a specific personality – it was easy to imagine how he would react in any given situation.

"So Edward isn't a modern man then?" Mr. Masen pressed.

"In some ways he is," I smiled. "He wears all the latest clothes – though that has more to do with his sister, Alice. That girl has made it her one woman mission to ensure that everyone is dressed impeccably at all times." I shrugged out of the blanket that had been wrapped around my shoulders and folded it neatly on my lap.

"…and don't even get me started on Edward's car. The man is _obsessed_ with it. Under no circumstances was I allowed to touch the radio, or adjust the seat position. I made the mistake of asking him if I could drive it once… I really did fear for his health. I very nearly made a _vampire_ have a panic attack."

"What else?" Elizabeth pried, eagerly. I got the feeling that she would never be able to hear enough about Edward – she would always want to know a little more.

"While he adapted in some ways, he vehemently refused to let go of his upbringing," I smiled. "He would scold me if I tried to open a door for myself – or carry my own books. He always offered me his arm while we walked and he hated to let me drive. He was quite literally a gentleman personified."

"As he should be," Mr. Masen nodded. I realised then, just how much it must have _hurt_ Edward each time I had refused his kind offers. I had always found his attentions to be a little stifling and sexist – but as I looked at his father, I realised that this was how Edward was _raised. _He was frozen, trapped in the perfectly preserved body of a seventeen year old – and he always would be. Each time I refused his attempts at chivalry, I must have hurt him, terribly. It was all he knew, it was who he was – and I had _rejected_ him time and time again.

I rubbed my tired eyes with my hands. I would need to leave soon. I had barely slept last night and I desperately needed to shower and change my clothes. Elizabeth noticed my discomfort t and sprung to her feet, with her husband following after her, fluidly.

"I'm so sorry, Isabella. You must be exhausted. I can only imagine how difficult today must have been for you," she whispered. It astounded me that she would say such a thing. After all, she didn't know that Edward and I had been romantically involved. She thought that we had been _friends. _ She was the one who had just found out that her son was alive and well after all these years, yet she was worried about _me._

"I'm fine, really – just a little tired is all. I should probably head home soon." I smiled. Elizabeth's face fell at my statement and I felt awful for her.

"Are you all alone in that big house?" She asked. "I can't hear any other heartbeats..."

"Oh, um... no. It's just – there's only me," I whispered. "I inherited the house after my father died last month... apparently it's been a part of our family for generations."

"Oh you poor dear," she murmured as she pulled me into her arms. I went willingly – not that I would have been able to fight her strength anyway. Her hand ran through my hair, soothing me in a way that only Edward had ever managed. "I am so very sorry to hear about your loss. But you are not alone. Edward and I can hear you from here and if you need us, you can simply whisper and we'll be there."

I grimaced at her words, wondering if she and her husband had heard my uncontrolled sobs last night. They must have thought that I was _insane._

"You said that the house had been in the family for generations?" Mr. Masen asked, drawing me from my embarrassment.

"Yes, as far as I am aware, it belonged to my great-grandfather, Thomas Swan." The expressions of shock and happy surprise confused me. They were looking at me as though seeing me in a whole new light.

"You are Tommy Swan's great-granddaughter?" Mr. Masen confirmed.

"Yes," I grinned. "I was actually going to ask you how he knew Edward? There is a picture of them together at home..."

"They were best friends, my dear," he smiled. "Absolutely inseparable from birth. He was a good boy, Tommy Swan – and I imagine that he would be extremely proud of the young lady who stands here before us today."

I blushed furiously – I had never been very good at receiving compliments, but it was even harder when they were coming from your immortal ex-boyfriends parents. "Thank you," I whispered.

My cell rang loudly, causing all three of us to jump in surprise. The room had been deathly quiet before this. I peered at the screen and grimaced when I realised that I still hadn't spoken to Renée. She must have been worried sick. I silenced the call, not wanting to be rude – but it really _was_ the cue I needed to leave. I pushed the phone back into my pocket and stood again, both of the Masen's mimicking my actions.

"I should head home," I whispered. "I don't even remember coming over here," I added in confusion.

"That was my doing, dear. When you collapsed, we brought you to our house..." Mr. Masen explained. I nodded, uncomfortable with his keen appraisal. I had never been comfortable being the centre of attention, but it was even worse when I knew that the person staring at me had enhanced sight – I must have looked a _mess._

"You will come and see us again soon?" Elizabeth confirmed, looking at her husband.

"Oh yes, you absolutely must, Isabella. Nothing would please us more," he insisted as we walked to the front door.

"I would like that - thank you," I smiled. The couple seemed extremely sad as I walked away and I wondered idly how long it had been since they had spoken to anyone other than themselves. I turned, when I reached the gate and saw them still watching me from their expansive porch.

"Are you not planning to go to Alaska?" I asked, unable to resist the temptation of news about Edward. I was surprised that they hadn't left already, instead of staying to talk to me. In a flash, they were both standing in front of me once more. I hadn't seen them move – it had been far too fast for my weak, human eyes – but I was used to such speed by now.

"Well, we were actually hoping for a little more information from you, Isabella – if it's okay with you, of course," Mr. Masen smiled. I grimaced, unhappily at his expectant face. I didn't want to have to sadden him... he seemed so genuinely _lovely._

"I will tell you whatever you want to know Mr. Masen... but I _don't_ know where in Alaska the Denali coven are – or if the Cullen's have even told them that they've moved," I whispered. Elizabeth's face fell in dismay and I felt awful. I instantly back-peddled, trying to think of anything that would help them find their son, but I came up blank.

"Let me have a little think about it – I'll see if I can remember Edwa... I mean _Alice -_ mentioning the location of any of their other homes," I offered. Elizabeth stepped forward and grasped my hand tightly.

"Thank you, sweet girl. It would make our search so much faster," she whispered desperately.

"Of course," I smiled, able to refuse this kind lady nothing. "I'm exhausted, but I'll come back in a few hours if that's okay? We can talk some more..."

The words were barely out of my mouth before Elizabeth had pulled me into her arms once more and hugged me tightly. "Please," she muttered. "Please, _please_ do. We'll be here," She promised as she let me go.

With a small wave I turned away from Edward's parents and crossed the deserted road, stumbling tiredly towards my own home. I walked straight up the stairs and fell onto the four poster bed I had discovered yesterday. I didn't even remove my shoes – I just lay my shattered head onto the soft pillow and drifted. The last thought I had was of Edward – and that one day in the near future, I was going to see him again... and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do when I did.

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**AN: Up next - Edward's POV. Will try to post it in a few hours :-)**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Okay so this next chapter is from Edward's point of view. It's short – it didn't really need to be that long. We can all imagine how Emoward was feeling after leaving his Bella. This chapter is simply to show the beginning of Edward and Bella being reunited.**

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I lay on the floor of my bedroom and counted the infinitesimal cracks in the wall. Alice had told me that we were somewhere in Ithaca this time. I didn't know exactly where... Nor did I care. Nothing mattered other than the fact that I had given up the most perfect creature in existence.

_Bella._

Eleven months and thirteen days had passed since her birthday and each day it was becoming harder to stay away from her. I had given up trying to make it through a day at a time. I was fighting each _hour._ All I wanted to do was crawl back to her and beg for her forgiveness. I knew it was only a matter of time before I gave in – but I had to try. I had to give her the chance of a normal life, away from my family. She deserved to be with someone human – someone who would love her without wanting to _kill_ her. Someone who would grow old with her... give her _children._

I whimpered at the thought of anyone else touching my Bella and vaguely heard Jasper groan from his room underneath my own. I sent him a wave of remorse; my own silent apology. I hated that he had to feel my pain, too. This was why I didn't want to come home. This was why I should leave again.

"Don't you _dare, _Edward Cullen," Alice seethed from the living room.

I fisted my hands in my hair and tugged, _willing_ myself not to think about her… but it was impossible. She was in every thought, dominating every memory. Isabella Swan was quite simply the focal point of my existence. Without her, I was a husk of a man. A pathetic shell who lay curled in a ball on his bedroom floor.

_Go to her!_

I groaned and pushed the thought from my mind.

_Not yet. I promised her. Not yet._

Alice sighed loudly from the living room and I knew that she was growing tired of my constant uncertainty. Every time I chose to go back to Bella, she saw a vision of it and grew excited… only to have me change my mind again.

A shrill shriek had me off the floor and sinking into a crouch before any human could have blinked.

"Edward!" My head snapped to the door as I heard Alice screaming for me. This wasn't a trick or a game – Alice would never be so cruel. Something must be _seriously _wrong. I raced down the stairs and flew into the living room where Jasper was shaking Alice.

"Alice, darlin? What's wrong? Talk to me, sweetheart," he pleaded. He knew better than to distract her while she was having a vision, but he was obviously _terrified. _None of us had ever heard Alice sound so scared.

"Edward, what's wrong with her? Read her mind, brother... _Please!" _Jasper begged. I Instantly locked onto Alice's thoughts and was swept into a flurry of visions. They were changing so rapidly that I could barely understand what was happening in one prediction, before the next one came. But there was no denying it – Alice was having visions of my Bella…. For the first time in a _year. _

_Bella stood in the middle of a busy road before stepping out calmly in front of a truck. She died instantly. _

_Bella rearranging all of her neighbours garden gnomes into battle positions in the middle of the night. _

_Bella standing on the roof of a skyscraper. She jumped, falling to her death. _

_Bella climbing into a taxi, telling the driver to take her to his leader._

_Bella driving her truck off the Golden gate bridge._

_Bella walking along a crowded street with a whip, yelling 'laters baby' at everyone who passes her._

_Bella chasing pain killers with whiskey._

_Bella writing her number onto a mirror in lipstick._

_Bella taking her fathers gun and aiming it at her temple._

_Bella pulling on an immense pair of socks before slipping a pair of sandals over the top, proudly. _

I groaned and fell to the floor, writhing in agony at the visions of Bella dying.

"Ed? What the fuck is going on?" Emmett asked. He pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, supporting my weight completely.

"B-Bella," I stammered. "My Bella..."

"Alice? What's he talking about?" Carlisle asked. He moved closer to Alice, who was still trapped in thousands of flashing visions – all of them pertaining to my Bella.

"She's going to kill herself," I groaned. "Alice saw it. Alice, you have to tell me when... I have to stop her," I begged. Alice scowled at what she was seeing and pulled herself free of the never ending visions.

"Ooh," she growled. "You just took it too far, missy!" She raced around the room, frantically pulling the house apart.

"Alice, _please," _I begged.

"Get a hold of yourself Edward. Bella is _fine,_" she growled as she continued her search.

"But –" I began.

"But nothing. She isn't going to kill herself. She's just trying to get my attention," she stated with conviction. "Where is my cell?" she spat. Jasper pulled his own from his pocket and handed it to his extremely angry wife. She yanked it from him and began frantically dialling someone. The call connected instantly, almost as though the person had been _waiting_ for Alice to call.

"Isabella Marie Swan, for the love of Prada, don't even _think_ about wearing sandals and socks," she spat.

I sucked in an immense breath and moved closer to the phone. It was a pointless movement, for I could already hear Bella breathing calmly from the other end of the line. The entire family stood in absolute silence as we waited for a reply.

"Hello to you too, Alice," she whispered, finally.

_Bella... _

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**AN: Okay, so you're probably all really confused right now. In the last chapter, Bella promised Elizabeth that she would try to think of any way of contacting the Cullen's. This chapter hints at Bella's plan to get back in contact with them. Next chapter, we go back to BPOV and I'll explain what just happened from Bella's point of view. We'll also be reuniting Edward with Bella... and his parents. I'll update first thing in the morning. Hope you're all still with me :-) **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Here you are my lovelies. This chapter is a lot longer than the last one because they're finally reunited. The next chapter will be up tonight. I'm just adding a few finishing touches to it. REALLY hope you enjoy this one :-)**

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The sun had barely risen when I finally awoke and I grimaced at how out of sync my body clock was. Still, with everything that was going on in my life at the moment, it was a miracle that I was sleeping at all. With reluctance, I slipped out of the immense bed and tiptoed over to the closet. All of my brand new clothes were hung in such uncoordinated disarray. Alice would have a conniption if she saw it.

I grabbed the first things in my reach - noticing a pair of unflattering suit pants and a baggy jumper. I was halfway back to the bed when I paused, my gaze firmly on the mismatched clothes. I was no style icon, but even I could see that they would look awful together. Usually I chose clothes based on what looked least likely to itch me, but the idea of doing that in front of Edward's parents didn't sit well. I don't know why I felt the need to impress them – it wasn't as though Edward and I were still an item. Maybe it was because I had seen just how beautiful women were in their era – how much effort young ladies put into their appearance. In all of the old photos dotted around the house, there wasn't _one_ that had people wandering around with their hair scraped back with a rubber band.

Tentatively, I freed my hair from its knot and allowed it to fall over my shoulders. I put the awful clothes back on the rail and tried again. I hadn't realised that I had bought so _much_, but eventually I settled on a pair of artfully faded baby-blue jeans, teamed with a fitted white shirt and matching white flats. I lay them on the bed, feeling proud of myself. It wasn't a huge achievement, really. The rest of the world seemed to have no problem dressing themselves each morning – it just wasn't something I usually cared about... and a poor habit that I needed to change.

I jumped into the shower and washed at lightning speed, making sure not to dampen my hair. My stomach growled loudly – another reminder that I wasn't taking care of myself as well as I should. I turned off the water and wrapped myself in one of my new fluffy towels, feeling a thousand times better for washing yesterday off me completely.

My eyes widened comically when I saw the underwear I had bought. Normally my panties were simple cotton numbers that came in a box. _These, _however could pass for lingerie. All frills and lace with not much material covering anything at all. I grumbled the entire time I was pulling them on... but as soon as I saw my reflection in the mirror, I stopped my irate mumbling and gasped. For the first time in my adult life I had _curves..._ and _cleavage. _Was this what Alice had been trying to tell me all this time? That underneath my unflattering rags, there was actually a female body? I shook my head, unable to suppress my slightly shallow smile and quickly dressed in my new outfit.

Instinctively, I moved to scrape back my hair once more, but paused when I caught my reflection again in the mirror. I hadn't cut my hair since Edward left and I hadn't known that I reached my waist now. The ends were a little unhealthy, probably from not being trimmed and constantly being heaped on top of my head, held in place with a rubber band – but nothing a quick cut wouldn't solve. All in all, I actually looked... _nice._

I had a slight bounce to my step as I bounded downstairs to the kitchen. I was eager to talk to the Masen's again, so for speed, I shoved a few pop tarts into the toaster and grabbed my cell phone. One glance at the screen let me know that Renee had called me three times during the night. _Shit._ I dialled her number reluctantly, and waited for her to pick up.

"Bella, baby! I've called you a few times, honey. Why didn't you answer?"

Surprise was my most dominant emotion. I had expected Renee to flip! After all, I should have been home ages ago... and I hadn't even bothered to call her.

"Hey mom, yeah sorry about that. I've been kind of busy..." I hedged. I had no idea how I was going to explain to her that I had decided to stay in Chicago... but I knew that she wouldn't let me go without a fight.

"You? Busy? Doing _what?"_

Her incredulous tone should have hurt my feelings – but she was right. I never even left the house unless I had to any more.

"Mom did you know anything about a house in Chicago?" I whispered.

"A house? Well, your father grew up there, but he never mentioned a house – why?"

I drew in a deep breath to steady my nerves. "...because he left me one in his will, mom. Two, actually – if you count the house in Forks as well."

Renee was absolutely silent for a full minute before huffing out a huge breath. "That's incredible, baby. I had no idea that Charlie even _owned_ a house out there. What are you going to do with it? Sell it?"

"No," I stammered quickly. "No I could never sell it. I want to _live_ in it, mom," I whispered.

"Live in it? What on earth for? We have a lovely house in Florida –"

"No, mom – _you_ have a lovely house in Florida. I have one in Chicago." I didn't want to be rude, but I needed to be firm. I was a legal adult... there really was very little she could do to stop me.

"Baby, you can't just pack up and move across the country... you don't know anyone out there. You'll be all alone..."

"Mom, I'll be fine –"

"How do you know that? Are you psychic now?"

She was still yelling at me down the phone, but she had lost my attention completely. I was far too focused on the comment she just made.

'_Are you psychic now?'_

It ran through my head on a loop. How could I have been so _stupid_? Poor Elizabeth was fretting over how she was going to find Edward and I had known the answer all this time. She wouldn't have to search for her son – Hell, she wouldn't even have to leave her _home. _All this time, the answer had been staring me in the face.

_Alice._

"... what if you fall down and break your leg, Bella? What will you do then?"

"Mom, I will be fine... and I have to go. I love you."

"Go? You're not going anywhere young lady. We need to talk about this!"

"Mom, I have plans. I'm going over to my neighbours house," I reasoned. It was a low blow, but I knew that she would be so surprised that I was socialising again, that she would shoo me away happily.

"You're going out?" She confirmed in disbelief. I didn't get a chance to confirm her statement before she predictably began talking again. "Sorry, baby. You go on... and have a good time," she enthused. "I want to hear all about it later on, okay?"

I suppressed a chuckle, "Sure, mom. I'll call you later." We ended the call and I sighed in relief. It would be easy to convince her that Chicago was the place for me, now. For the first time in a year, I was making an effort to make a new friend. Renee would _never_ try to hinder that sort of progress. She was probably crowing about it to Phil this very second.

I shoved my phone into my pocket and grabbed my keys, racing out the door excitedly. I had barely set foot in their yard before Elizabeth had the door open.

"Isabella," she beamed. "Come on in. We've been waiting for you!"

Her happy acceptance of me was surprising, but if I was honest, it secretly pleased me, too.

"Hello, Elizabeth. Please call me Bella – I'm only 'Isabella' when I'm in trouble," I giggled. The radiant smile that lit up her face was infectious and I found myself mimicking her actions as we walked into their now familiar living room.

"Hello again, dear," Mr. Masen enthused from his chair. He rose from his seat and kissed the back of my hand. The gesture was sweet and obviously well cemented into his old fashioned habits. My Edward had been the same.

"Hello, Mr. Masen. I hope I'm not calling round at a bad time. I was hoping to talk to you both again about finding Edward," I admitted timidly.

"Not at all, my dear," he beamed. "You are very welcome in our home. Have you eaten yet? I understand that Elizabeth purchased some food this morning..."

"Nothing substantial," I admitted with a small shrug.

"Oh well then I shall prepare something. Have a seat Bella, please," she beamed. She disappeared in front of my eyes, but materialised again a moment later. "I've put some eggs on for you, dear," she smiled.

"Oh – thank you, Elizabeth," I blushed. "I left the house in a bit of a hurry this morning... I didn't have a chance to eat anything."

Elizabeth squirmed uncomfortably. "Actually, Bella. We heard your telephone conversation with your mother. We tried to give you privacy, but unfortunately we hear quite a bit..." She trailed off. I chuckled at her and smile, comfortingly.

"Please don't worry about it. I am used to having absolutely no privacy around vampires. Emmett once thought it was appropriate to rest his head against my stomach to see if he could hear my food digesting. After that, there really is nothing that can shock me anymore," I giggled. Mr Masen let out a huge guffaw before slapping his hand over his mouth in embarrassment, as if he were ashamed of finding it funny in the first place.

"Goodness – you really were quite close to the family, weren't you?" Elizabeth breathed.

"I was – I stayed with them most weekends. Although the term 'sleepover' really loses something when you're the only person who actually _sleeps," _I explained. Mr. Masen was still trying to stifle his laughter, but seemed to be having difficulty. His wife raised an eyebrow at him and it sobered him, immediately. I made the most of the brief lapse in conversation to say what I needed to say.

"I know how to find Edward," I whispered. The blank look of shock on their faces was brief as a moment later, Elizabeth was on the chair next to me with both of my hands cupped in her own.

"How?" she breathed.

"It was actually my mom who gave me the idea. If you heard our conversation, you must have heard her when she made the comment, 'are you psychic now?'"

They both nodded, dutifully, but offered no verbal response. "Well, I'm not psychic, but Alice _is. _I can't believe I didn't think of it before now. You see, Alice is gifted... She sees visions of potential futures and plans her life around it accordingly. From what I've been told, it's has saved the Cullen coven on more than one occasion."

"What do you mean by 'potential' futures?" Mr. Masen asked, fascination covering his tone.

"Well, she sees the future based on which decision people make – if they change their mind, the vision changes accordingly. But her visions also vary in strength. The weaker the decision, the weaker the vision. If I were to decide to eat a slice of bread, she might not even _see_ my choice because it wouldn't impact anyone... but if I decided to climb the Eiffel tower, she would see it... because it would impact the lives of anyone who saw me do it." I explained.

"It sounds complex..." Mr. Masen conceded.

"It is," I nodded my agreement. "but I have spent so much time around Alice, that I know _exactly_ how her predictions work. I can manipulate my future – ensuring that she sees what I want her to see," I informed them.

"...and that will lead us to Edward?" Elizabeth confirmed.

"Yes," I whispered. "Wherever Alice is, Edward will be there also."

They exchanged desperate looks with each other and I smiled, pleased that I would be able to play some small part in their reunion with their son.

"How do we do it?" Mr. Masen asked eagerly.

"I think it' something only I can do. Alice has never met you – I'm not sure if she is attuned to you mentally, so to speak..."

"When can we do it?" Elizabeth asked eagerly. Her excited face would never leave me – it was something I would always remember. So sweet, honest and pure. She was just a mother who desperately wanted to be reunited with her son.

"Now, if you're ready," I offered. "But you will need to tell me how you want me to do this?" I asked. "Do you want me to include you in these visions? Or would you rather that Edward didn't know about you until he gets here?"

Elizabeth shook her head at her husband, conveying a message of some sort and he smiled at his wife before turning back to me.

"Keep us out of the visions for now, sweet girl. We don't want to scare him off..." He whispered. The haunted look of his face showed that this was a genuine fear for him – he really did want to tread carefully. I nodded and closed my eyes, willing myself to make decisions that Alice would see. I would have to stagger them – I would imagine dying... that would be enough to get Alice's attention, but then I could let her know that I was okay my imagining something silly. It wasn't foolproof, but it was all I had. She would know me well enough to know that I would never seriously consider suicide.

_Me, standing in the middle of a busy road before stepping out calmly in front of a truck. _

_Me, rearranging all of my neighbours garden gnomes into battle positions in the middle of the night. _

_Me, standing on the roof of a skyscraper. I jumped, falling to my death. _

_Me, climbing into a taxi, telling the driver to take me to his leader._

_Me, driving my truck off the Golden gate bridge._

_Me, walking along a crowded street with a whip, yelling 'laters baby' at everyone who passes by._

_Me, chasing pain killers with whiskey._

_Me, writing my number onto a mirror in lipstick._

_Me, taking my fathers gun and aiming it at my temple._

...and the final nail in the coffin for poor Alice.

_Me, pulling on an immense pair of socks before slipping a pair of sandals over the top, proudly._

I opened my eyes and pulled out my phone, placing it on the table in front of me. Elizabeth and Mr. Masen were watching me intently, but didn't speak. They both clutched at each other as my phone rang, predictably. I picked it up and connected the call, knowing I was about to be in a lot of trouble with my sweet Alice.

"Isabella Marie Swan, for the love of Prada, don't even _think_ about wearing sandals and socks," she spat.

I threw my hand over my mouth, trying to stifle my giggles. It was _unbelievably _good to hear her sweet voice again.

"Hello to you too, Alice," I finally managed to whisper through my smile.

"Under what rational circumstance did you think it would be okay to get my attention by threatening to wear sandals and socks, Isabella?" She fumed. I could imagine her stomping her tiny foot as she said it, too. Sweet, predictable Alice.

"It worked didn't it?" I quipped.

"Yes it worked, but you had better have a good reason for doing it, missy," she insisted. Emmett let out a huge guffaw and I smiled. I had missed that oaf, terribly.

"Hey Emmett," I sang down the phone.

"Belly-boo! I miss you! It's boring now that you're not doing your freaky human things around the house any more," he whined.

"Sorry, Em. Next time I do something amusing, I record it and send it to you," I offered.

"Awesome! My new email is: spunky _hunk ." He cheered. The giggle that had been threatening finally broke free from my lips and I ended up laughing until I couldn't breathe.

"Damn it, Emmett. You can't use that email address. It's rude!" I heard Rosalie admonish in the background.

"But babe, I _am _a spunky hunk," he whined. The swift thwack that followed let me know that Rosalie had hit him – and it only served to make me laugh even harder. When I finally managed to calm myself, I wiped my eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"Alice?" I whispered. "Is he there?" I didn't need to elaborate – she would know exactly who I was talking about. I waited for Alice to answer, but the voice that met my ears next caused all of the breath to leave my body in a rush.

"Hello, Bella," Edward murmured quietly. Elizabeth sobbed silently into her husbands shoulder as she heard her son's voice for the first time in nearly a century.

"Edward," I whispered. I shook my head, trying to get a grip. This wasn't about me. This was about reuniting this incredible family. "Edward, I'm going to send Alice one more vision and I need you to pay attention to it for me, okay?" I asked.

"Anything," he breathed. His tone confused me – he seemed so different to the last time we had spoken. His cold, detached voice was long gone. This was _my_ Edward talking. Not the man who had broken my heart in the woods a year ago.

I screwed my eyes shut and concentrated on the most important vision Alice would ever receive.

_I stood in front of Edward's childhood home. I turned and walked through the front door making sure to notice every minute detail about the house. I walked into the living room and sat down on the love seat, stilling my movement completely._

I knew that he was seeing what I wanted him to when I heard his sudden intake of breath. I made sure not to include his parent's in my vision – I just wanted him to see the house.

"Bella," He breathed. "I don't understand..."

"What?" Emmett yelled. "What did she show him?" Another thwack came over the line and I mentally thanked Rosalie. I didn't want Emmett to ruin this for Edward.

"Bella – that's... that's my parents home," he whispered. "What are you... how did you –"

He didn't seem to be able to form a sentence, so I stepped in, wanting to make it easier for him.

"Edward, I need you to listen to me – this is really important, okay?" I asked. He cleared his throat unnecessarily and sighed.

"Of course, love," he whispered. I tired not to react to his endearment – it was probably just a slip of the tongue. One brief glance at Elizabeth showed that it hadn't escaped _her_ notice, though.

"You need to come to your parents house, Edward. It's crucial – you have to come right away." I pleaded.

"Bella, I haven't set foot in that house since my parents died... I _can't, _love. It's too painful –" he whispered.

"You can, Edward... you _have_ to. If I ever meant anything to you, then I need you to trust me... just this once," I begged once more.

"Bella, I – how can you... of course I trust you. Are you... are you there now?" He whispered.

I grinned and walked over to the fire. Another massive canvas hung over the mantle and I concentrated once more, forcing Alice to see a vision of it. Edward gasped and I giggled – aside from the pain this was obviously causing him, this vision game was quite fun.

"You were a very chubby child, Edward. Tell me – did you leave _any_ food for anyone else?" I quipped. He coughed, probably trying to hide his amusement;

"I was _not_ a chubby child, my Bella. You must be mistaken." he insisted, tersely. I could tell that he was smiling though. The smile fell from my face when I realised that he still hadn't answered me.

"You really do need to come here, Edward. Please," I begged. There was a massive pause on the line as he considered my request.

"Will you be there if I do?" He asked. My heart clenched painfully at his rejection. Would it really be so hard to see me just this once? I shook my head and held back my tears.

"No," I murmured. "I can leave now. I just needed you to come here. I don't need to be here. Just you..."

"No!" He yelled. "I mean – stay, Bella. I'm on my way. Just... just don't leave... _please_," he added.

"Okay," I murmured, quietly. He was so confusing – nothing he was saying made any sense.

"Bella, I know I have no right to ask you for _anything_, but please, _please_ be there when I arrive. I'm already on my way, sweetheart - So are the family. We're running and at this speed, we'll be with you in less than three hours. Just... stay there. Please."

His fierce pleading only served to confuse me further. "If it will help," I replied, reluctantly.

Edward let out a sob of disbelief, as though he didn't understand why I didn't want to be here. "Bella, love – I can't do this without you. I wont be able to set foot inside the door. I thought you understood..."

He trailed off, not finishing his sentence and I shuddered. I was so confused and completely drained, mentally.

"I'll be waiting Edward. Just hurry." I replied. I heard Alice yelling at him to slow down and wait for them, but he obviously had other ideas. As the fastest in the family, he could leave them all trailing behind if he ran at top speed. I shut off the call and placed my phone back on the table. I looked at Elizabeth, who was still sobbing into her husbands shoulder.

Her eyes left the phone and latched onto me. Her expression was heart breaking and I let out a little yelp when she launched herself at me. Stone, cold arms wrapped themselves around my frame as we sank onto the floor. I held Elizabeth for hours – just rocking her tenderly as she cried quietly with relief. Mr. Masen hadn't moved from his armchair – his eyes still firmly fixed to the phone which lay quietly on the table.

"They're coming," Mr. Masen whispered. "I can hear them..." he breathed.

I didn't bother to strain my ears. I would never be able to hear a vampire approach. To a human, they moved silently.

"Bella?" Edward yelled from somewhere outside. "Where are you, love?"

"I'm in the living room, Edward," I whispered, knowing that he would hear me. The front door crashed open and Elizabeth gripped me a little tighter. I raised my head and glanced towards the door.

My breath whooshed from my chest when my eyes met Edward's frantic gaze. He stood absolutely still – his expression heartbroken as he watched me comfort his distraught mother. Seconds later, the rest of the Cullen's ran into the room. Emmett and Jasper sank into a crouch and I blinked in confusion;

"Let her go," Emmett growled, menacingly. His voice sounded so _fierce_ that I actually feared for Elizabeth.

"Now!" Jasper seethed. He looked so feral that I finally understood what was happening.

"No," I yelled. "Jasper, Emmett – stop!" I shifted my body in front of Elizabeth's tiny frame... not that I could protect her, but it gave me peace of mind.

"You can't hurt them – they're not a threat to me," I whispered frantically.

Rosalie scoffed in disbelief and I hissed at her. She actually recoiled from me. I doubt that I had actually scared her- I was only human, after all. But this _was_ the first time I had ever stood up to her.

"You can't attack them because they're Edward's parents..." I whispered. "His biological parents."

The only sound or movement came from Edward, who sank to his knees and let out a heart-wrenching wail.

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**AN: There you have it! Our lovely Edward has finally seen his parents. Next chapter will be up tonight! Feel free to let me know what you think as we go along. I will always welcome comments or suggestions. I'm going to sit down in a bit and try to reply to some of your lovely reviews. Thank you for posting them! They're really encouraging and probably the reason why I'm typing so quickly (",)**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I'm quite nervous about this chapter... but this is how I think Edward would have reacted to seeing his parents again. But let me know what you think. Love it or hate it, your reviews mean a lot to me... and I've read every single one - even though I haven't managed to reply to everyone yet. I will get round to it... Thank you! **

* * *

There was a moment of stunned silence, before everyone seemed to move at once. Jasper and Emmett moved out of their defensive crouches simultaneously as their brother curled in on himself on the floor. Mr. Masen raced over to his wife and pulled her into his arms, trying to hold her still as she struggled to get to Edward, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

Esme, not being able to stand the sight of him in pain, raced over to him and wrapped her arms around his shaking frame. In a movement too fast for me to really see, he had shrugged her away and moved into the farthest corner of the room where he proceeded to slide down the wall, landing on the floor with a thump and refusing to make eye contact with anyone. He pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face between them. Esme walked slowly over to him once more and crouched down next to him.

"Edward?" She murmured tentatively. He didn't raise his head and I barely heard his quiet reply.

"I really thought it was real," he whispered. His voice was so strained – he sounded as though he was in agony.

"You thought _what_ was real sweetheart?" She asked in confusion.

"Bella – I thought… I thought that she called me. I was so _certain_ that she did. It was so _real." _He cried.

"It _is_ real, Edward. She's here, son – we all are," Esme soothed, but Edward fiercely shook his head.

"It can't be. My – my p-parents… they're not… they can't _ever_ be." His sobs were agonising and I wanted desperately to comfort him, but I couldn't. He wouldn't want me to do that. He had made his feelings perfectly clear the day that he left.

"Go to him, Bella," Jasper whispered. "You're the only one he'll listen to."

"Jasper, I really don't think-"

"Please, Bella," Alice whispered. "Trust me."

I gave her a small nod. Of course I trusted my Alice – she would never do anything to put me in harms way. I took a timid step towards Edward; then another, followed by another.

"Edward?" I called, softly. His answering groan sounded so pained that I stopped moving altogether. Well, that answered that question. He didn't even want to _speak_ to me. I began to back away from him, whilst desperately holding back my tears, which had been threatening to spill since I had first seen him.

A tiny blast of air shot through the open front door and Edward's head snapped up - his gaze fell solely on me.

"Shit," Jasper swore, causing me to jump and my heart to race. "He's thirsty. Em, grab him."

"No," I ordered. "Leave him alone." Edward's gaze remained firmly fixed on my face, his expression impassive.

"Bella," Carlisle began, "You're his singer – he hasn't come across your scent in a year. It's not safe."

"He's fine," I insisted, taking a small step towards him.

"Bella," Jasper hissed, "come away – you don't understand –"

"No, Jasper – _you_ don't understand," I said cutting him off mid sentence. "Pinning him down will only make it _can_ control his thirst." I insisted.

"What would you suggest we do, Bella? Because he is about two seconds away from latching his teeth onto your _neck_," Jasper argued, never taking his eyes off Edward.

I stepped around Jasper and looked directly at Edward as I spoke.

"Rule number one; Never run away from a thirsty vampire. It releases his inner monster. He likes the thrill of the chase. It turns me into prey. Isn't that right, Edward?" I asked. He gave me an almost imperceptible nod in response and I took another small step towards him.

"Rule number two; Calm down. You gave me a fright when you swore a moment ago, Jasper. It caused my scent to change. It made it more _potent. _Edward can smell my fear. He can hear my heart race. I need to calm down. Isn't that right, Edward?" I asked him. He gave another tiny nod and I took another timid step.

"Rule number three; Keep him talking. Don't give him too much time in his own mind with his own thoughts. He needs to hear my voice. It will help him to remember that I am a _person_, not a meal. Isn't that right, Edward?" I asked. He mouthed 'Bella' at me and I took that as a sign to take another step. I was less than a yard from him now and I sank onto my knees in front of him.

"Rule number four; His eyes are the window to his frame of mind. Study them - always. Anything that causes them to darken is bad. It means I'm making him thirsty. It means that I'm hurting him and I need to stop. Isn't that right, Edward?" I whispered.

"Yes," he whispered. It was the first time that he had taken a visible breath since the wind had carried my scent over to him. His eyes scrunched shut and I knew that this was causing his throat to rage into white-hot flames.

"Rule number five; Give him time. Give him time to comeback to me... because you'll always come back to me, wont you, Edward?" I murmured. The crease around his eyes lessened with each passing second until he eventually opened them. The dark hue had passed and his beautiful orbs we're topaz again.

"Incredible," Carlisle murmured in rapt fascination.

"Belly-boo, as cool as that was - your instincts are _way_ off. You don't walk _towards_ a thirsty vampire. To us, that's just like a neon flashing sign that says 'meals on wheels'. You're _insane,_" he laughed.

I couldn't help the small giggle that slipped through my lips and Edward even managed a small smile in response.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, quietly. He shook his head and fisted his hands on top of his knees.

"Are you _real?_" He countered.

"Are you so cruel to yourself, that even in your own imagination my scent still burns you?" I asked in horror. "Of course I'm real, Edward. We all are..."

I moved a little closer to him and held out my hand. He stared at it for almost a minute and my heart plummeted when he didn't move to take it. I lowered it again and began to shift away. I wasn't going to _force_ myself on him. If he didn't want my help, I would simply leave. I heard a quiet gasp from Alice behind me and knew that she had seen a vision of me walking out the front door. Before I could even react to her outburst, I was swept into Edwards arms and pulled tight against his chest.

"You can't leave," he gasped. "You promised me that you would stay with me if I came here. You _promised_." His hands tightened around me almost to the point of pain and I wondered why he was so determined to keep me with him.

"You've changed your tune," I teased, sounding far more at ease than I felt. "I distinctly remember you telling me that I should stay away from you... that it would be more... _prudent_ for me not to be your friend."

Emmett and Jasper laughed, probably remembering how much Edward and I had danced around each other at the beginning – but Edward stiffened. His entire frame became deathly still as his eyes scanned my face, frantically.

"My _friend_?" He repeated, softly. The expression on his face was unreadable but his voice betrayed his quiet disbelief. My mouth popped open as I desperately tried to think of something to say – but the problem was that I didn't _know_ what he wanted. Was this his way of saying that he didn't even want to be friends? He was so _confusing!_

"Bella?"

My head spun around at the sound of the most gentle voice in the world and I gasped, horrified at my behaviour.

"Oh! Elizabeth, I'm so sorry," I murmured as I struggled to slip out of Edward's arms. He shook his head, childishly and clung onto my shirt like it was a life preserver. I sighed, turning back to Edward and hesitantly cupped his beautiful face between my hands. The second our skin came into contact, a very familiar tingling swept through me – an invisible current that always flowed between us... something I still didn't understand.

"Edward? Do you trust me?" I asked. He looked up at me through his devastatingly long lashes and nodded, gently. "Then I need you to please stand up and walk across the room with me. This is why I called you, Edward. This is why we're here..."

He hesitated and I suppressed a sigh. "_Please,"_ I added, desperately.

His eyes flickered over to his parents and then straight back to me. "For you," he whispered, "because _you_ asked me to. That's the only reason I'm doing this."

I was unbelievably confused, but right now that wasn't important. Across the room, Edward's parents were waiting to be reunited with their son... and he didn't even believe that they were _real. _I managed to force his hands apart and stood up, brushing my jeans off as I rose. Edward followed me at lightning speed and grasped my hand, firmly.

"Are you ready?" I whispered. It was a pointless gesture, seeing as everyone in the room could hear an _ant_ crawl – but I thought it would give him some small comfort. He gave me a brusque nod, but refused to look at his parents as we crossed the room. I stopped in front of Elizabeth and squeezed her hand in support. Her expression was devastated as she stared at her son. He had come to a halt behind me and was fervidly refusing to meet their gaze.

"Edward?" She whispered. "Son?"

His finally raised his eyes and _glowered_ at his mother. His intense stare was filled with such overwhelming hatred, that I actually recoiled from him. He caught my movement out of the corner of his eye and lessened his harsh gaze, slightly.

"I don't know _how_ you've managed this," he growled menacingly, "but it stops. _Now_. You have exactly three seconds to leave my Fathers house before I _really_ lose my temper."

Each word was slow, deliberate and measured. Not a fraction of me doubted his sincerity. He truly believed that this was a trick – that they were somehow _posing_ as his parents.

"Edward," I murmured, trying to get his attention.

"One," he sneered. Mr. Masen whipped Elizabeth behind his own tall frame and sank into a crouch, preparing to defend her from their own son.

"_Edward!" _I tried again.

"Two..."

_No..._

"Edward - wait," Carlisle spoke urgently. "I can explain this – just please, son... Stop – just stop."

Edward turned his head to observe his mentor with none of the menace he was showing his biological parents. There was nothing but absolute respect shining from his eyes.

"_You_ can explain?" He asked with surprise – his earlier ire forgotten, momentarily. Carlisle nodded and walked over to us, separating me from Edward and pushing me behind his back. Edward noticed his movement and raised his eyebrows in ill-disguised incredulity.

"Carlisle, what are you doing? I would never hurt my Bella," he stated with conviction. I ignored the thrill of happiness that shot through me when he once again referred to me a _his._

"Edward, you very nearly attacked your own mother with your _human_ mate standing next to you. You are not thinking clearly. I am just trying to keep her safe. Please trust me to do that."

Edward blanched at his sire, but offered no disagreement. He trusted his mentor implicitly - that much was obvious. Carlisle scooped me up and carried me at supernatural speed over to Esme, who immediately pulled me into her iron grasp. I turned my attention back to Carlisle, though, who was approaching Edward with his hands up in front of him.

"Edward," he whispered. "These _are_ your parents. Bella is not mistaken... and neither am I. This is no trick, son. I'm sorry."

Edward opened his mouth as though he wanted to speak, but he closed it again and glanced at me. His entire frame wilted and he looked as though he was having difficulty standing.

"Listen to him, Edward. I don't know this part of the story," I admitted. He gave me a small smile and turned back to Carlisle, who was waiting patiently next to Mr. Masen.

"Edward, firstly I want you to know that I _never_ lied to you. I never told you because I thought it would upset you further. Can you understand that?" He begged. Edward placed his hand on Carlisle's shoulder, but said nothing. He didn't need to – his answer was obvious.

"The night that you _died_, your Mother really did beg me to save you, son – and I agreed. I bit you with absolutely no hesitation at all. I was delighted that I would have a companion after all those years alone. But- you were so _young,_ son... too young to be separated from your parents... so I bit _them,_ too," he whispered.

"You began screaming and I knew that the venom was working through your body, altering you – _changing _you. I carried you back to my home and let you rest while I returned to the hospital for your parents. I wasn't worried about their screams. The influenza was vicious – almost all of the patients were screaming. Your parents would go unnoticed amongst the crowds..." he whispered. He sat down needlessly on one of the armchairs and gazed out of the window. His expression was faraway and I wondered, briefly, if he was remembering that terrible night.

"When I returned, their beds were empty.I located the nurse who had been tending to them while I was gone and she – she told me that they had_ passed, _son." He explained. Edward sank down into a different chair and buried his face in his hands.

"They had been so _weak_ when I bit them - I assumed that I had been too late for my venom to save them. I didn't even _check_ for myself," he whispered.

"Why would you? If the nurse said they were dead, then they should have been dead." Emmett stated bluntly. Carlisle shrugged and turned to Elizabeth and her husband, his expression devastatingly contrite.

"I am so unbelievably sorry," he sighed. "I just wanted Edward to have his parents – If I had known that you had survived, I never would have left..." he trailed off in horror. Edward stood, having recovered slightly and pulled Carlisle into his arms. It was a touching sight, seeing them together. Their relationship was so _easy_, so _safe. _I would never admit it, but I was jealous of Edward in that moment. I had never once coveted his money, or his fine clothes or his fast cars... but I was definitely envious of his relationship with his father. I missed Charlie terribly. I caught Jasper staring at me with confusion written across his face, but I ignored him. He may be able to read my emotions, but that didn't mean that I had to explain them to him – or justify them. My memories and feelings regarding Charlie were personal. Something I didn't want to share with Jasper.

When Edward and Carlisle finally broke apart, Carlisle stepped away from the crowd and came to stand with the rest of us. He kissed my forehead as he passed me and smiled at me.

My attention was drawn back to Edward, who was staring at Elizabeth as though she were his own personal Angel. She opened her arms in a silent invitation and I watched, with tears streaming down my face, as Edward moved swiftly over to his mother and fell into her embrace. Mr. Masen swiftly closed his own arms around _both _of them and gripped them fiercely. Their quiet sobs were muffled as they sank to the floor and I forced myself to look away.

This was _their_ moment.

Mother, father and son - reunited and permanently joined together... and they could remain that way, now - for the rest of eternity.


	9. Chapter 9

The Cullen's watched on fondly as Edward was held by his parents. Each of them stood in the comforting embrace of their mates, while I stood off at the side of the room on my own, uncomfortably.

'_Bella, we're leaving.'_

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and wrapped my arms around my chest. It was only a matter of time before they left _again. _After all, they all had lives to get back to in Ithaca. But this time, when Edward left, he would be bringing the Masen's with him – and I really would be all alone out here in Chicago.

'_My world is not for you.'_

His words had never felt more justified than in this moment. I really was the odd one out, for so many reasons. This was one, giant family, brought together through pain and loss – I was the stumbling human _stray_ that they picked up along the way.

'_You're not good for me, Bella.'_

After seeing his reaction to my scent, I was starting to see _why_ he felt that way. Today was supposed to be about bringing Edward home to his parents, but as usual, it was overpowered by me... me and my stupid scent.

'_They're all gone. I stayed behind to tell you goodbye.'_

I glanced at Alice, who smiled and threw me a wink. It must be so nice to be Alice... to be so certain of your future. I wondered idly if she would even bother to say goodbye this time?

Suddenly, I felt very out of place here – as though I were an observer intruding on a very private moment. I gave one final quick sideways glance at Edward, who was still clutching fiercely to both of his parents and quietly slipped out of the room. I was halfway to the front door when Alice's sweet voice met my ears.

"Bella? Where are you going?"

I spun around and saw her walking towards me, with Jasper close to her side. She seemed saddened – by what, I wasn't sure. A year ago, I would have asked her what was wrong, but I didn't really feel like it was my place to ask anymore. Apparently our friendship had been heavily weighted on my side. I could never have walked away from her without even saying goodbye like she did to me.

"Er... home, Alice," I explained. "I've had a really tiring couple of days..." I trailed off, not wanting to explain that I didn't want to be here when they left. It's not something I would be able to watch. It would destroy me.

"_What?"_ She screeched, "You can't go yet! You haven't even spoken to the family!" Her indignant tone irritated me. So what if I hadn't spoken to them? They hadn't spoken to _me_ in a _year._ I saw Alice glance at Jasper and knew that he was telling her that he could feel irritation rolling off me in waves. _Traitor. _A very contrite expression overcame Alice's features as she moved towards me, slowly.

"Bella – we need to talk... as a _family_ –" she started, but I cut across her, quickly.

"I'm sure that you do – hence why I was leaving," I muttered. A brief look of poorly disguised shock overcame her features and I wondered idly, what she was thinking in that moment. Any further comment was stopped when Emmett came bounding out into the hallway with Rosalie trailing after him. If anyone could make me want to leave, it was her_. _I was never welcome anywhere that she was – she made that clear as often as she could. Once glance at her stony expression was enough to send me stumbling out the front door.

"It was nice seeing you again Alice," I whispered as I walked across the Masen's yard. I was just about to step out of their gate when Alice materialised in front of me, stopping my escape.

"Bella, you can't just _leave_," she whispered. "It will be dark soon. We're in the middle of nowhere! You don't even have your _truck_ with you."

I laughed at her outrage – it seemed so strange coming from someone so tiny. "Relax, Alice. I really don't have far to go. I don't live in Forks anymore," I admitted, quietly.

"Do you live with your mother now, Bella?" Esme asked. I hadn't seen her come outside – or Carlisle for that matter.

"No," I whispered. "I live here – in Chicago."

"Charlie moved to _Chicago?" _Alice muttered in disbelief. Her eyebrows were drawn together comically and it would have been funny if we were talking about anything other than my father.

"You really didn't know, did you?" I questioned in horror.

"Know what?" She asked. Her voice was so tiny in that moment – as though she were sad that she didn't know the intimate details of my life anymore.

"Alice – Charlie _died_," I whispered brokenly. "I'm sorry. I thought that you knew... that you would have _seen..." _

Her lower lip trembled and Jasper pulled his wife into his side, stroking her arm, rhythmically. It was awful to see Alice hurting – she had loved Charlie, too.

"When?" She mouthed.

"Last month," I whispered

"I don't... I don't _understand_," Alice sobbed. "He was _young..."_

"He was shot, Alice," I murmured, fighting back my tears. "He pulled over a car with a broken tail light. He didn't know that the car was stolen... or that the driver was armed..." I broke off abruptly, knowing that if I continued, I wouldn't be able to hold back my tears.

"Was there nothing that could be done?" Carlisle asked. As always his inner doctor was clamouring to get out. Esme wrapped her stone arms around my frame and squeezed me into her side. It was nice... to feel wanted by her. Even if it was only for a moment.

"I'm sure that there was, Carlisle," I whispered. "The bullet wound itself wasn't fatal... it didn't hit any major –" I stopped, unable to say the actual words. I took a deep breath and tried again. "Charlie died of blood loss, Carlisle. Maybe if he had been found sooner – but by the time he was reported missing, he had already..."

"Oh my God," Alice groaned. "We weren't there..."

"Alice, sweetheart – you can't blame yourself for this," Jasper reasoned.

"Can't I?" She screeched. "We were too far away, Jasper. I didn't _see_ it... If we hadn't left we could have..." She trailed off, looking distraught but I didn't need her to finish her sentence. I already knew what she was going to say. She thought that if she had been in Forks, she could have changed, Charlie. She could have made him immortal.

"Alice?" I murmured. "Charlie wouldn't have wanted that life. He would never have _chosen_ to be immortal, Alice. Who would?"

"_You_ did," Rosalie sneered. "You were constantly harping on about wanting to be a vampire."

"Rosalie!" Esme admonished. Her voice sounded nothing like the gentle hum I was used to. She sounded _feral. _I don't know what Rosalie saw on my face in response to her comment, but she actually shifted away from me a little. _Good. _I was tired of dealing with her shit. It wasn't _my_ fault that she hated her existence.

"I never wanted to be a vampire, Rosalie," I spat through clenched teeth. "...I just wanted Edward."

"Wanted?" Alice whispered. "... as in _past_ tense?" Her facial expression was completely blank, but I knew her well enough to know that she was positively _boiling_ inside. I was going to answer her, but Edward and his parents came out of their house and began walking toward us at a gentle human speed. Each of them had the same serene smile on their face. It was heart-warming to see.

Elizabeth raced over to me and took me from Esme's arms. Her smile was radiant, and I couldn't help smiling back at her.

"I will never be able to thank you enough, Bella. I will never be able to find the appropriate words," she whispered as she hugged me. "We owe you _everything_."

I pulled back a little and studied her cherubic face... she seemed so _peaceful_ now... as though Edward was the only thing she would ever need.

"You don't owe me anything, Elizabeth. I was happy to help," I smiled.

"That trick with the visions was _awesome_ Belly-boo!" Emmett grinned. "How did you know that Alice would even _see_ it?"

I was going to answer, but Alice spoke before I could even open my mouth. "She's my best friend, Emmett. She understands my visions better than anyone." She stated with conviction.

"But I've known you for fifty years and I wouldn't have known what to do..." he pointed out in confusion.

"Because you're a dumb oaf, Emmett," Alice muttered. A quiet giggle burst through my lips and I slapped my hand over my mouth, trying to stifle them before I offended Emmett.

"I think we would _all_ like to know how you ended up in Chicago, Bella..." Carlisle smiled.

I sighed, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to escape nine curious vampires. "Do you want to come over to my house? Not all of us can stand up, indefinitely," I teased.

"Sure – where in Chicago do you live, Bells?" Jasper enquired. I glanced behind me and gestured to my great-grandfathers property.

"That's my house over there," I whispered. Their expressions of shock were comical and I desperately tried to hide my smug smile.

"_That's_ your house?" Edward whispered, quietly. I knew what he was thinking... this had been his best friends home when he was a child. From what Elizabeth had told me, he had spent an incredible amount of time there. I wondered, briefly, what he would say when he found out who I was.

"Yes," I whispered. "It belonged to my great-grandfather... Thomas Swan."

Edward huffed a disbelieving gasp and I grinned at him, absolutely unable to hide my mirth. He was looking at me as though he had never seen me before... or seeing me in a new light.

"Small world, huh?" I smiled.

He shook his head, mouth gaping and stepped closer to me. "You're Tommy's great-granddaughter?" He confirmed. I nodded my head and his grin only grew wider.

"This is... this is _incredible._ I've never believed in fate... but _this,_ this is too much," he breathed.

"Wait a second," Emmett interjected. "Back up a bit. You know who Tommy Swan is?" He asked Edward.

"Yes," he stammered in disbelief. "Yes, I knew him. I knew him better than anyone. He was my best friend."

"Whoa... Freaky..." Emmett breathed. "Dude, do you see how messed up that is? You made out with your best friends great-granddaughter!" He laughed.

"They 'made out'... what does that mean?" Elizabeth asked, sweetly.

I grimaced and buried my face in my hands. This was _so _not how I wanted to be remembered by Edward's parents.

"Momma Masen! Are you _serious_? Where have you _been_ for the last ninety years?" Emmett laughed. "The _kissed_, Mrs. M... and these two were _always _at it. We tried to get to know little Bella, but it wasn't easy given the fact that your son seemed to have difficulty removing his tongue from Bella's mouth long enough for her to speak to any of us."

A loud chorus of "Emmett!" met my ears, followed by another resounding thwack. I raised my head and turned to face Carlisle.

"Is it possible to give a vampire brain damage? Emmett is hit on the head at least thirty times a day," I asked in amusement. I was expecting him to give me a medical response, but he didn't.

"She's right, Rosalie. Spread your beatings around his entire head. Try not to concentrate on one spot any more. We don't know the effects of long term damage..."

I giggled at Emmett's outraged expression but stopped abruptly when I saw Edward shifting closer to me, slowly. His movement was stopped, however, when Elizabeth spoke again.

"Edward? Is this true?" She asked in disbelief. Edward visibly _paled. _Not an easy task given the fact that he had no blood in his veins. His mouth popped open as he desperately tried to think of something to say to his sweet, old fashioned mother.

"I – er... we," his stammering was unbelievably cute and I slapped my hand over my mouth again to stifle my giggles. Edward shot me a scathing look and I laughed even harder.

"Don't look at me like that," I stage whispered between my chuckles. "I had to answer to Charlie the night that he walked in on us..." I trailed off, not needing to explain. With his perfect recall, he would remember _exactly_ what I was talking about. Charlie had once come home from work to find me on the couch, with Edward on top of me. His kisses had been so distracting, that neither of us had heard Charlie's cruiser coming up the drive. He was _not_ impressed.

"That was a good night," he smirked. I blushed at his comment, not understanding what he meant. Was he trying to tell me that he had _liked_ kissing me? I was so confused.

"I still don't know how Charlie managed to get so close to the house without me hearing him," he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Edward Anthony Masen, you still haven't answered my question," Elizabeth said, sternly. The smile fell from Edward's face as he moved to stand behind me.

"Don't hide behind Bella, young man. She cannot protect you from your mother. You and I will be having a little chat later on, Edward. Apparently in our absence, you have forgotten how to treat a lady." She muttered.

"Mother, I really don't think-" Edward stopped talking abruptly at the subtle arch of Elizabeth's eyebrow.

"Yes, Ma'am," he whispered.

Emmett fell on the floor laughing and I was trying my hardest not to follow him. Seeing Edward being so thoroughly whipped into shape was impressive – I wondered if Elizabeth would teach me how to do it.

_Why? Edward will be leaving soon. _

My heart clenched and the smile dropped from my face. How could I have forgotten that fact? A wave of grief swept through me and I knew that when he left me again, I wasn't going to survive it.

"Bella?" Edward asked as he cupped my face. His eyes were frantic _,_ but he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at Jasper, who was obviously reading my emotions and allowing Edward to feel what I was feeling. I scowled at him, and he stopped. His face looked contrite – I don't think he realised that I would work out what he was doing.

"Bella, love... what –" Edward seemed to be having difficulty understanding what was wrong. Of course he wouldn't understand. He didn't love me. Leaving me wouldn't hurt him they way it was going to destroy me. I shook my head and pulled his hands away from my face. I couldn't let him touch me anymore... it was just making things so much _harder._ He seemed hurt when I rebuffed him – his face looked pained, but I was too tired to try and work out what was wrong with him. It wasn't my business any more, anyway. He wasn't _mine. _

"I should go inside. It's getting late," I whispered, staring at the ground.

"Don't you dare, Isabella Swan. You promised that we could see your house!" Alice shrieked in excitement. I rolled my eyes at her and held open the gate. She needed no further invitation than that. She sped off in a move too fast for me to see and disappeared into Tommy Swan's house. I heard an immense squeal from inside the house. Alice appeared on the porch a moment later;

"Oh Bella, I _love_ it!" She giggled, clapping her hands together. "Where is your closet?"

That earned another eye roll and I walked into the yard after her.

"Bella? Can we come too?" Jasper asked from the side walk.

"I think that's the first time any of you have ever asked permission to come into my home. Usually you just climb through the window," I giggled. "Sure you can, Jasper. You're all very welcome."

"That's a trick we learned from Edward," Emmett guffawed. "You know they have jail cells built with you in mind, man? For creepy old men that climb through the bedroom windows of poor, unsuspecting teenage girls to watch them sleep?"

"Emmett, I swear to God... if you don't shut up..." Edward seethed, casting worried glances at his parents.

"Please tell me that he is joking, Edward," Mr. Masen whispered. He looked absolutely _horrified. _

I felt awful for Edward – he had just been reunited with his parents and already they were disappointed with him.

"It's not how it sounds, Elizabeth," I smiled as we reached the porch. "Edward was trying to desensitise himself to my scent," I lied. "Obviously, he couldn't do it while I was awake. It would have seemed strange if he followed me around _sniffing_ me all day."

"Oh I see," she laughed. "Still, Edward – it hardly seems appropriate. Couldn't you have simply borrowed something that contained her scent?"

"You would condone _stealing_, Mother?" He asked. His face was cherubic and _screamed_ innocence. I muffled my laughter by burying my head into Carlisle's shoulder.

"Oh – of course not. Forgive me, son," she smiled. She stepped into my home and the rest of the family followed, leaving me and Edward standing alone on the porch. He grasped both of my hands in his own and stepped painfully close to me.

"Thank you," he mouthed, silently. He pressed a small kiss to my cheek and moved back, slowly. When he finally stopped, our mouths were just a millimetre apart. I licked my lips instinctively and felt my tongue accidentally brush against Edwards lower lip. His breath stuttered and he moved impossibly closer to me;

"_Bella_," he whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Here's the next chapter. Word of warning – there will be sexual references, dirty jokes, fun, lemons and language in all of my stories, so if you are under age or they are not your thing, please don't read them! Thank you! **

* * *

As soon as I felt him trying to close the distance between us, I panicked. Was he completely clueless? Didn't he realise just how much this was _killing_ me? With the greatest effort of my life, I turned my face away from his and stepped back.

"Edward, you can't just pick me up and put me down whenever the mood takes you," I whispered. The pain in my chest flared horribly and I failed to hide my grimace. Edward raced over to me and pulled me into his arms.

"N-no," I stammered. "Edward, don't," I said as I tried to struggle out of his arms. He eventually let me go and scowled at me.

"You won't even let me _hold_ you, Bella?" He seethed. "Do you hate me that much?" His tone was livid but his expression looked _hurt._ I stepped closer to him, unable the stand the pain that was etched into every feature on his face.

"I could never _hate_ you, Edward," I whispered. "I'm trying to respect the boundaries that _you_ set in place when you broke up with me."

"You really haven't worked it out yet, have you?" He was smiling, but it was more of a grimace.

"Worked what out?" I asked, genuinely bemused.

He groaned and sank down onto the porch steps. His lean forearms rested against his legs and he shook his head in disbelief. "Bella, did I ever explain what vampire mating actually _is_?"

I was confused by his question... It seemed so off subject. I scanned through my memories, trying to recall Edward ever explaining it in detail, but he hadn't.

"It's the equivalent to a partner, right? A vampire's mate... is their _girlfriend_?" I questioned. Edward shook his head and chuckled.

"Having a girlfriend is an entirely human concept. As a vampire, I don't understand it at all. Partners are almost interchangeable to your kind. Humans seem to flitter from relationship to relationship without any trouble at all. The whole concept baffles me completely." He muttered with distaste.

"But we –" I trailed off. I wanted to point out that I had been _his_ girlfriend, but I couldn't make the words form in my mouth. Edward obviously knew what I was going to say though, as he shook his head – a sad smile forming on his lips.

"Vampires don't have girlfriends, Bella. We have _mates_. It's completely different..." he whispered.

I sat down next to him on the steps and leant against one of the wooden pillars that supported the porch. "Will you tell me how it's different?" I asked. I had expected him to refuse me. Edward never went into details about his life as a vampire.

He turned to face me and scanned my features with curious eyes. "You'll tell me to stop if I scare you?" He whispered.

"You're not going to scare me, Edward. It's who you _are_..." I murmured in reply. He seemed to draw strength from my statement though, as he drew in a deep breath and began to talk, quietly.

"When a vampire sees their mate for the first time, it sets off a reaction – a physical and mental response that cannot be undone," he whispered. "I'm sure you don't need me to explain the _physical_ part," he coughed, uncomfortably. I tried to stifle my giggles with my hand. His obvious discomfort with sex had always been amusing. My poor old fashioned vampire.

"I think I can work it out for myself," I snickered. He blew out a relieved breath of air and smiled again, shifting slightly closer to me. Our legs brushed against each other and he stiffened, no doubt assessing my reaction. My will was crumbling completely... I knew that I should move away, but I had _missed_ the contact with him.

"...and the mental reaction?" I whispered, not mentioning our physical contact. His answering smile was dazzling and I had a hard time concentrating when he began to answer my question.

"Vampire mates are almost designed with each other in mind," he smiled. "Take Alice and Jasper, for example. Jasper suffers constantly with the burden of feeling the emotions of others. I've seen in his mind how difficult it is for him. You could search the entire world and still struggle to find genuinely happy people. Jasper spends most of his life enduring human emotions. They feel anger, or sorrow. Every second person is feeling deceit or guilt. His gift is not pleasant... so who better for him than Alice? The most perpetually happy person on the face of the earth? Her constant happiness counterbalances all of the negative emotions around him. It makes his gift _bearable._"

He inched closer to me again – our shoulders were touching now. He paused, probably gauging my reaction again, before carrying on with his speech;

"He also struggles to maintain our diet, but can't deal with the guilt of taking human lives... so who better to prevent any slip ups than a seer? Alice can see his choices in advance and ensure that accidents don't happen. Like I said before, it was like Alice was designed with Jasper in mind. It's a humbling thing to witness," he smiled.

"Do all vampires have mates?" I asked.

"I think that there is someone out there for each of us," he whispered. My heart dropped when he confirmed that he was looking for his mate, but I managed not to show my despair.

"...but not all vampires know about mating – or even believe in it," he continued.

"You're talking about the Denali coven," I guessed. _The horizontal whores..._

"...Yes," he whispered uncomfortably. "There are those of my kind who have no interest in finding a mate. They would happily exchange true love for frequent lovers..." he trailed off.

"What about _you,_ Edward?" I asked. "Are you looking for your mate?" I managed to keep the tremor in my voice to a bare minimum, but Edward noticed it. His expression was a strange mix. He looked almost _hopeful_? But there was also an undercurrent of _fear_ there, too.

He took a deep, stuttering breath and raised one of his hands. It hovered above my own and his eyes turned to me, beseechingly.

"Please, Bella..." he murmured. My will power was gone in that moment and I nodded my head, giving him permission to do whatever the hell he liked. It would kill me, when he left again – but I couldn't deny this man _anything._ His cool hand entwined with my own and my entire frame relaxed, instinctively. The familiar tingling sensation crept up my arm, as it always did when our skin made contact.

"Do you feel that, Bella?" He murmured, gesturing to our hands.

"...Yes," I whispered. "I feel it."

He seemed _relieved _ for some reason and rubbed his face with his free hand. When he finally raised his head, his expression was devastatingly vulnerable. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to take him into my arms and hold him.

"_You_ are my mate, Bella," he whispered. His eyes scanned my face frantically and I tried desperately hard to absorb his words.

"But you don't _love_ me, Edward," I breathed. "You told me that you didn't last year. You said that you didn't _want_ me. You said that you were moving on... moving on to your _distractions._"

His face became a mask of agony and he moved even closer to me. "Bella –"

The front door flew open and Alice was there, followed by the rest of the family – who all looked extremely panicked as Jasper tried to grab hold of his furious mate.

"You said _what _ to her? You absolute _asshole_, Edward! How could you _do_ that? How could you _hurt_ her like that?" she screamed. In a move too fast for anyone to predict, she flew at Edward and began raining blows all over his body. Jasper tried to pry her off of Edward, but it was useless. The little ninja was clinging onto him for dear life.

"Alice, stop it!" I yelled. She ignored me and hit Edward even harder. What hurt the most was that he wasn't even trying to defend himself. He lay on the floor and took every single one of her strikes.

"Do you have _any_ idea what she's been through this year, Edward? _Do you_? Charlie _died_, you bastard... and we weren't _there_!" She cried. Edward's face became horrified and his head snapped over to me.

"Your father died?" He whispered as Jasper pried his wife from his brother. Apparently he hadn't heard this awful news in his family's thoughts, yet.

"Yes," I murmured. "He was killed last month."

Edward groaned and crawled back over to the porch. He ignored his family as he pulled me into his arms and carried me into the house. Less than a second after we had left the porch, I was on my bed in Edward's arms.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I'm so unbelievably sorry," he whispered as he rocked me.

"Edward, I can't talk about it yet, so please don't ask me to. _Please,_" I begged. His grip around me tightened and I felt him nod into my neck.

"Are you okay? Did Alice hurt you?" I asked, needing the distraction. Edward scoffed and shook his head.

"It was nothing I didn't deserve, Bella. She had every right to do what she did." He mumbled.

"She can't blame you for not loving me, Edward. The heart doesn't work that way."

"This was what I was trying to explain before, love. I _do _love you. I am hopelessly, endlessly and desperately in love with you – and I always will be."

I opened my mouth to contradict him, but he silenced me by pressing a small kiss to my forehead.

"Alice was angry at me for saying those things to you because she knew I had _lied_ to you. You _are_ my mate Bella. How could you _not_ be? _You_ were designed with _me_ in mind..."

I scoffed, loudly and Edward grabbed my face between both of his hands. "I am cursed to hear every single thought in every single mind in the world... but not _yours_," he breathed, his tone awestruck. He placed tiny kisses along my temple which were so desperate that they were almost reverent. "Your brilliant, beautiful, silent mind is my own personal gift. It's my one place of _peace_," he moaned.

"...and my stupid blood Edward? You know, the scent that _burns_ you agonisingly every time I'm within a mile of you?" I muttered, sarcastically.

"Firstly, your blood is not stupid – it's mouth-watering... and it has it's purpose, too," he whispered as his lips trailed down my cheek. My breath came in a small gasp and I shuddered in his arms. He groaned and ran his tongue along my jaw.

"So _responsive_." He whispered it so quietly, I knew that I wasn't supposed to hear him.

"Your scent," he groaned, "is always present. It's the constant reminder that my mate is _human..._ and that I need to be _oh.. so... gentle_." Each word was punctuated with a jerk of his fingers as he pulled me onto his lap. I was straddling him now – something which was in completely unfamiliar territory for us. We had long since moved past Edward's cautious boundaries.

His hands gripped my hips tightly as he held me above him. "A mental reaction, Bella" he whispered as he pushed me deeper into his lap.

"...and a physical reaction." He moaned. I couldn't help the loud gasp that slipped through my lips when I felt his arousal. Edward had _never_ let me this close to him before. My small whimper seemed to encourage him, as he pushed his hips deeper against my own and growled, low in his throat.

"My mind," he gasped, "...and my body... react only to you, Bella. I am yours in every single way."

He flipped us over, so that he was towering over me and pressed him firm body against me again.

"I don't have the strength to try and stop this any more, my love." He murmured as his hand ran up my thigh.

"I can't be away from you and I _wont_ hurt you again..." he whispered, his lips brushing over the top of my breasts.

"If you don't want me as you lover and mate, then I will take your friendship gratefully – but I am _begging_ you to let me be more... I can give you _so_ much more, Bella. _Please..."_

I finally lost my battle to resist him and fisted my hands into his hair, tugging at it with every ounce of strength that I possessed. If I had done it to a human, it would have torn the hair from its roots, but Edward _hissed_ and ground himself down onto me.

"Bella, _please_," he growled. "Just one chance. Give me one chance, love – _please." _

He sounded frantic_... feral_ ... I gasped as his lips latched onto my chest as his hands slowly crept up into my shirt, exposing my stomach for the first time. His fingers trailed a tantalising path up my ribs, leaving a trail of fire behind them.

"_Edward."_ I couldn't believe that the desperate, breathy plea had come from me, but Edward seemed to love it.

"I know, baby," he gasped. "You just have to say the word, Bella. Just tell me that... _fuck..._ you're so _soft... _Just tell me that you'll take me back. _Please. _Baby _please..." _

His desperate plea was enough to distract me from his hands, just long enough to answer him.

"I'm yours, Edward. I've been yours since the very first moment I first saw you," I whispered. His hiss was muffled and he tightened his grip on my waist. When he raised his head a moment later, his eyes were coal-black. He trailed his finger so slowly down the front of my shirt, never taking his eyes off of mine as he shredded the fragile material. Another flick of his wrist and my jeans lay in tatters on the floor. When he finally lowered his eyes to look at me, he groaned – deep and desperate. I would be forever grateful that I had decided to squeeze myself into those ridiculous frilly panties this morning.

"Oh _God_, Bella... you're so beautiful." He whispered... and in that moment, I felt it. I was tired of being such a ridiculous Mary-Sue all the time. I may not have been beautiful to _everyone_, but I was perfect through Edward's eyes – and that was all that mattered.

In my daze, I didn't even feel Edward shredding his own clothes. When my eyes finally adjusted and I _saw_ him for the first time, my breath left my body in a huff. I wanted to tell him how desired he was – how much I _wanted _him_, _but he didn't give me a chance. He lay back on top of me and pressed his icy lips to mine. The moment they connected, a frenzy began and I couldn't get close enough to him.

Edward's fingers skillfully brushed against my breasts and I felt my nipples hardening underneath my lace bra. When I needed to pause for breath, Edward didn't remove his lips from my body, he simply trailed them around to my neck. I tried to drag him closer to me and groaned when my hands felt the ridges of his muscular back. Without any conscious descision, my legs parted, allowing Edward to slide in between them, pressing his arousal where I needed to feel it most.

"Jesus, Bella," he groaned. "You're so _warm." _ He kissed his way down from my neck to my chest, and tore my bra from my body.

"Ohhhh..._God_," I groaned, finally feeling the pleasure of his lips as they swept over my breasts.

"I'm trying to go slowly, Bella," he gasped. "Tell me to slow down, baby. I need you to say it."

"Don't," I begged. "Don't slow down."

His answering growl should have terrified me, but it only spurred me on. He tore the last remaining scraps of material from our bodies and settled himself over me once more.

"This is going to hurt, baby," He whispered. "But I'll be as gentle as I can… I swear it."

I nodded into his shoulder and gripped his arms as he lined up at my entrance. His eyes stayed firmly fixed on mine as he inched inside me. His lips were trembling and I knew that it was from the pressure of holding himself back… _forcing_ himself to do this slowly for me. He stopped when he reached my barrier and lowered his lips to mine. I was so lost in his kiss that I hardly noticed him pushing in that last inch.

"Are you okay?" He asked. The words sounded strained as the fell between his clenched teeth. I wriggled a little, trying to see how uncomfortable I was and Edward groaned, loudly.

"Baby, don't do that – _please._ You have no idea how hard it is to control myself." He begged.

His cool skin soothed the internal burn and I realised that I was actually okay. I pressed a gentle kiss to his hard lips and smiled at him.

"I'm okay now, Edward," I whispered. His answering groan was filled with relief and he tentatively pulled back again – studying my face the entire time. He pushed back in, more forcefully this time and I whimpered.

"You're so _wet_, baby. You feel incredible… I had no idea," He moaned.

"M-more," I stammered. "I need more, Edward. _Please_…" I begged. He seemed only too happy to comply as he sped up, slamming into me rhythmically.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you, Bella," he stammered as he drove into me. "I'm so sorry that I separated us."

"Edward," I whimpered. An unfamiliar tightening sensation was crawling through my stomach and I dug my heels even further into Edward's waist.

"I know, baby…. _Fuck…_Bella. I can feel you tightening around me.. _gripping_ me. Let it go baby…. Fuck… Just let it go…" he begged. My whole body tensed as wave after wave of indescribable pleasure tore through me. I screamed my release into Edward's neck as he followed on after me, whispering my name like a prayer.

I vaguely noticed Edward slip out of me as he rolled us onto our sides and pulled me against his chest. He dragged the blankets over us and cocooned us away from the world.

"I love you, Bella. So much." His words were like a solemn promise, chasing the last year of pain away.

My eyes were unbelievably heavy as I whispered my sleepy reply. "I love you too, Edward."

His words were muffled and distant. I couldn't be sure that he had spoken them at all as I dozed in his arms.

"Sleep my love. Sleep."

* * *

**AN: Finally! Good grief, _I_ was getting sick of their silliness and I'm writing the damn thing! Once again, THANK YOU ALL for your wonderful support and lovely reviews. Every single one is precious to me! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it ;-)**


	11. Chapter 11

I groaned at the light that was pouring through my window and rolled over, searching for Edward. My hands fumbled clumsily around the bed, but found nothing. I was instantly wide awake, sitting bolt upright in less than a second. My eyes scanned the room in a frantic mess, but Edward was nowhere to be seen.

"Edward?"

He materialised from nowhere, wearing a shy grin on his face. "Good morning, love," he whispered as he approached the bed. Memories from last night began to flood through my mind and I found myself blushing, madly.

"Good morning," I replied. My voice was barely a whisper and I couldn't quite meet Edward's eyes. He sat down on the bed and clasped my chin between his cool fingers, forcing me to look at him.

"Do you regret last night?" He asked. I remembered the frenzied touches and the way his skin felt against mine and blushed even further.

"No," I murmured, shaking my head. "I'm surprised that it happened – you've always been so _cautious. _But no, I don't regret it."

"Neither do I," he smiled. "But I _do_ regret not giving you a proper explanation, love. I got a bit... carried away. I didn't even take the time to explain _why_ I lied to you. I was hoping that maybe we could finish our conversation while you eat..." he trailed off uncertainly.

"I don't really think this is something I want to talk about in front of –" my sentence died on my lips when I realised that his entire family must have heard us last night. Every single breath – every moan and whisper. I groaned and buried my face in my hands.

"Bella?" Edward asked with alarm. "Love? What's wrong?" He skilfully pried my fingers away from my face and began assessing my features, as though the answer would be written on my face.

"Did they hear?" I grumbled. "Did everyone hear us last night?"

Edward's eyes bulged as he frantically shook his head. "Bella, believe me – if my Mother had heard _any_ of the things I said to you last night, she would have dragged me out the door by the ear and locked me in my room for the next two hundred years. She wants to have words with me for _kissing_ you, Bella. She can _never_ find out what happened last night. Immortality will not protect me from my mother," he dead-panned.

"Agreed," I giggled. "So where was everyone then?"

"Alice," he whispered, gauging my reaction. "She saw this happening and grudgingly persuaded everyone to go on a hunt. They'll be back in a few hours. That's why I wanted to talk to you over breakfast. We'll get no peace once they're home."

"Sure – I'll just get dressed and meet you down there." I smiled. Edward grimaced and grabbed my arm as I stepped out of our bed.

"Bella? You, erm... would you mind..."

"What's wrong?" I asked in bemusement. He seemed to be measuring his words with extreme care.

"I can... _smell_ you, love," he whispered reluctantly. "I can smell what we did last night... and if I can smell it, then..."

"Emmett," I shuddered, thinking of his merciless teasing. "I'll be in the shower!" I yelled as I ran to the bathroom. I heard him chuckling as he walked out of the bedroom but I ignored him. There was no _way_ that I was going to give Emmett the ammunition he needed to tease Edward for the rest of eternity. I turned the water on as hot as I could stand it and washed thoroughly_. _I hated removing Edward's scent from my skin, but between Elizabeth and Emmett and their stupid, super-sniffing snouts, I wasn't taking any chances.

Once I was certain that I was clean, I wrapped a fresh, fluffy towel around myself and padded into the closet. I thumbed each item of clothing carefully, before selecting a light blue sun dress. It was knee length, so probably entirely inappropriate for seeing Edward's parents, but they had to make _some_ allowances. This wasn't 1918 - and it was a perfectly respectable dress for a girl born in _my_ time. I dressed hurriedly once I caught the scent of freshly brewed coffee and ran down the stairs. Edward met me by the kitchen doorway, holding a steaming cup in his hands.

"Here you are, love," he grinned. I took the coffee from him gratefully and swallowed a few mouthfuls greedily, ignoring the searing burn in my throat as it scalded me.

"You look incredible, Bella," he whispered. His eyes were trained firmly on my legs and I bit my lip to stifle my smile. I had never been a typical 'girlie girl,' so it wasn't often that Edward saw me in a dress. Though after seeing his reaction, I might consider doing it more often for him.

"Thank you," I beamed. My voice seemed to startle him, and he shook his head in a daze - almost as though he had completely forgotten that I was _attached_ to the legs he was ogling. He led me over to one of the expensive bar stools and helped me settle into one.

"Are eggs okay?" He asked.

"You don't have to cook for me, Edward. I know that human food smells awful to you," I grimaced.

"If it keeps you strong and healthy, I'll make it every day, love. I like looking after you... even more so after last night," he whispered.

"What are we going to say to the family, Edward?" I asked as he raced around the kitchen.

"That I'm an idiot. An idiot who was fortunate enough to be blessed with such a forgiving mate," he whispered. The absolute honesty on his face was humbling. It made it difficult to maintain eye contact with him.

"You're not an idiot, Edward." I replied. He passed me my breakfast and sat down on the stool next to my own.

"Bella, up until yesterday, I fervently believed that you didn't love me as much as I love you. I arrogantly thought that your human emotions were inferior to my own. I thought that you would get over me... I had no idea. It wasn't until Jasper _showed_ me your emotions, Bella – until he literally projected them onto me. Only then did I understand the depths of your feelings for me. I endured that same pain every single day that we were apart, love." He ran his hands through his hair and moved closer to me.

There was a brief lapse in conversation as I mulled over his words. My initial reaction was to throw something at him – to scream at him for being so judgemental. How _dare_ he consider my emotions to be inferior? As much as I wanted to do those things, I suppressed the urge and swallowed my anger. He was _finally_ being honest with me - something he wasn't likely to do again if I couldn't handle his answers maturely.

"Why did you leave me, Edward?" It was blunt and my voice sounded harsher than I had intended, but this was the one question that I _needed_ an answer to. I needed to be sure that he wasn't going to run again.

"To protect you," he muttered. "To stop you from becoming immortal. To keep you safe from my kind. To give you a human life... probably every reason you accused me of that day in the forest. I was trying to protect your soul."

"...and now?" I asked sarcastically. "Is my soul suddenly worth _less_ to you? Because as far as I can see... nothing has changed. I'm still human and you're still a vampire."

"I meant what I said last night, Bella - I wasn't just telling you what you wanted to hear. I honestly don't have the strength to fight this any more – to fight _us." _He whispered. He clasped both of my hands in his own and stared at me intently.

"I will give you anything you want, love. If you want to be immortal, I'll change you. If you want to stay human, then that's fine, too. If you can forgive me after I have been such a fool, then I will give you anything that you desire. You just need to name it." He vowed.

I shook my head at him and he blanched, probably assuming that I was rejecting him. _This_ was our biggest problem. There was absolutely no communication in our relationship. If we were honest with each other, Edward would _know_ that I could never reject him.

"Edward, what you just offered me is impossible. I don't _want_ to make unilateral decisions for us. I want to sit down with you, talk it out and decide things _together._ Anything less than that and one of us is always going to be unhappy." I reasoned.

He seemed momentarily stunned by my response and I chuckled at him. I don't think I had ever shocked him into silence before.

"Together," he whispered with wide eyes. I grasped his hands a little tighter and leant in to kiss him, but he turned his head at the last second. When he noticed my hurt expression he hurried to explain.

"No, love – I'm sorry... it's just that I can hear the family coming." He smiled.

"Oh... are they coming _here_ or-"

The rest of my sentence was cut short when Emmett stomped into the room like the wrecking ball that he is.

"Belly-boo!" He yelled as he ripped me from Edward. "Did you bang some sense into him yet?" He grinned. Visions of last night swam through my mind and Edward laughed, knowing _exactly_ what I was thinking.

"Er, yeah Em... something like that," I muttered. Edward was still chuckling as pulled me back into his arms just as the rest of the family walked into the kitchen. All apart from Rosalie, who stood at the side of the room looking awkward. I was going to tell her to join us, but thought better of it. In Forks, she had gone out of her way to make me feel as uncomfortable in her home as possible. Well she could suck it – we were in _my_ home now. Alice obviously saw my decision and approved as she threw an exaggerated wink at me.

"That's not very nice, love," Edward admonished – but there was no malice in it. In fact he was _smiling_ at me. Maybe he approved, too. _Good_. It was about time I stood up for myself.

"Aw, you look so _cute_ together," Alice squeaked. Edward rolled his eyes, but the effect was lost when he grinned widely.

"So you _are_ together, then?" Elizabeth asked. I nodded, shyly, but Edward was having none of it. He pulled me into his lap and placed a kiss on my cheek.

"We are," he confirmed. "She's my mate."

Something passed between them in that moment... almost as if they were communicating with their eyes. But it was when Edward bit his lip, coyly, that Elizabeth grinned. Her hand came to a rest over her dormant heart and she raced over to embrace both of us.

"Welcome to the family, Bella," she whispered. "I am truly glad that he found you."

"Indeed," Mr. Masen interjected. "She's a strong woman Edward. Not even _ghosts_ could chase her away," he chuckled.

"Now, Mr. Masen," I teased, " I thought I had already explained –"

"There's no such thing as ghosts," he laughed. "I remember."

"I'm confused," Emmett stated. "Who saw a ghost?"

I groaned and buried my head into Edward's shoulder, knowing that I was going to have to explain the whole story... but Mr. Masen surprised me by standing up and taking centre stage in the Kitchen. He truly looked like the head of the family.

"It was young Bella's bravery that reunited us with our son, Emmett. In fact, she only entered our house because she had been told that it was _haunted_." He chuckled.

"Bella," Edward growled, "You _promised_ me that you would take care of yourself! It was bad enough when danger followed you around, but to actually go _looking_ for it? Of all the reckless -"

"Edward?" I interrupted, "...Be quiet."

His mouth fell open in shock as the rest of the room filled with laughter. _Good_. I was tired of being scolded like an errant child.

"As I was saying," Mr. Masen guffawed, "Elizabeth and I were distraught when we found out that our house was for sale. We assumed that it had been repossessed at some point – but we couldn't very well produce our hundred year old documents to prove that we owned it, so we devised a plan – to chase away potential buyers."

"You pretended that the house was haunted," Jasper drawled. "That explains a lot. The realtor kept of calling me to say that no one wanted to buy it because of all the strange 'happenings.' The poor man was terrified," he murmured.

"Well Bella certainly wasn't," Elizabeth smiled. "When she met the realtor on our driveway, he told her that strange things kept on happening inside the house... and she marched right inside to have a look."

Everyone laughed, apart from Edward, who was still annoyed that I had scolded him – and Rosalie, who scoffed from her corner of the room. I spun around in Edward's lap and scowled at her.

"Rosalie, why are you even _here_?" I asked. "I didn't invite you into my home and I'm _certainly_ not going to beg you to stay. We both know that you don't like me, so why don't you just _leave_?"

Her expression was one of pure shock and all she could do was fidget, uncomfortably. She glanced at Emmett, but he vehemently refused to meet her desperate gaze, leaving her to fight her own battle for once.

"M-my family –"

"Are guests in Bella's home. Once again she has been gracious enough to open her door to us even after we deserted her last year. How many times does Bella have to prove her merit before you stop treating her like she's worthless?" Alice seethed.

"Well said," Jasper nodded. I was surprised by his support. We had never been particularly close before. He obviously felt my doubt because a wave of brotherly love washed over me, giving me the strength I needed to finish this.

"This place is important to me, Rosalie. My father grew up here – I was reunited with Edward here. I don't want to taint it with unpleasant things –"

"I'll be quiet," she whispered, quickly, taking advantage of my lapse in anger. I nodded and turned back to Mr. Masen, who was watching me and Rosalie with a keen eye. I don't know what he was thinking, but Edward was clearly enjoying it as I could feel the vibrations of his silent mirth underneath me.

"As I was saying," Mr. Masen continued, "Bella showed no fear at all as she marched into our house. We felt awful for trying to scare her – but we didn't want to lose our home. It was all we had left of Edward... or so we thought," he smiled.

"How did you scare her? " Alice asked, with far more glee than was appropriate.

"I may have thrown a chair across the room," Mr. Masen muttered in embarrassment. "...and a canvas painting of Edward."

"Charming," Edward muttered.

"Edward, you can sulk all you like, but if I hadn't thrown that canvas, you wouldn't be sitting here now." Mr. Masen sighed. He slumped back into one of the stools and rubbed his face with his hands.

"What happened?" Esme asked. I could tell that she would have been crying, if it were physically possible for her to do so.

"I was banging down the stairs – trying to make it sound as though something were coming towards Bella. She turned to leave, but stopped when she saw the canvas. Even though I was right behind her, breathing into her ear, she _stopped_ to pick up the picture." He whispered. Elizabeth squeezed my hand as the rest of the family turned to face me with surprised eyes.

"I was angry at first – that she was touching one of the few things that still inked us to our son... but then she whispered his name," he murmured.

Edward squeezed me as tightly as he dared and I leant back into him, needing the support. It was awful to think that we might not be here now if I hadn't gone into the house. It just goes to show that a little danger in life is a _good_ thing.

The short silence was broken when Emmett scraped his stool noisily across the floor.

"Well now that we're all back together," Emmett grinned, "What are we going to do now?"

_Good question._


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Sorry for the delay! Summer seems to have finally hit England, so it was too nice to stay indoors glued to the laptop. Did you all enjoy your weekend? Oh… and to any tennis fans out there, WELL DONE ANDY MURRAY!**

**P.S - Apologies for any spelling or grammar errors - I literally wrote this an hour ago and it's unedited. I'll go back in a few weeks and repost the whole story with an edited version once it's finished. **

**Hope you enjoy! **

* * *

Emmett's blunt question hung in the air as every eye in the room fell onto me. I shifted in Edward's lap, uncomfortable with my new found attention and sighed. Since when did the Cullen's ask my permission to do anything? Edward eventually took pity on me and redirected the attention onto himself.

"I'm staying with Bella. Wherever she goes next – whatever she does, I'll be going with her." He whispered. I internally sighed with relief. Edward had told me many times that he had only left to protect me, but I still couldn't help but worry that he would run again… after all, nothing had changed.

"We'll be with you both," Elizabeth interjected from behind me. "We couldn't be away from our son again…"

"Well, I think that we're all agreed that we should remain together. Separating the family over the last year has taken it's toll on all of us," Carlisle conceded with a soft sigh. He gave a pointed glance to Edward and my heart fluttered at his words. After being abandoned so easily, it was nice to know that they had missed me too.

"Well _obviously_ we're staying together," Emmett said, rolling his eyes, "but I meant _where_ are we going to live?"

"Well, the hospital are expecting my return in the next few days – and you are all still enrolled at school," Carlisle murmured. "It does sort of limit our options."

"What about Bella?" Rosalie asked. My head damn near fell off my shoulders as I spun to face her. Absolute shock ran through me. Since when did Rosalie care about me?

"What about me?" I asked. My tone was abrupt and I felt my body coiling, preparing for her answer. The next thing that came out of her mouth had better be polite or so help me...

"Shouldn't you be starting college in the next week or two? It's September..." She muttered. I was so shocked by her _almost_ caring question, that it took me a few moments to prepare an answer.

"No," I whispered. "I wont be attending college."

"Why not?" Alice asked. "I thought you were all set on the idea of going to the University of Washington?"

I grimaced and shrank further into Edward's embrace. None of the Cullen's knew about the last year of my life, and I _really_ didn't feel comfortable talking about it.

"I haven't been in Washington, Alice. I moved back to Florida."

"...but Charlie only died a month ago," Alice murmured. I wanted to shake her – could she not see how reluctant I was to have this discussion in front of everyone?

"I'm aware of that, Alice," I bristled, "but I moved to Florida several months ago... not last month."

Edward stiffened underneath me, and I knew that I was about to be forced to explain myself. I deliberately hadn't mentioned my whereabouts, yet. I didn't want to upset Edward. I just wanted to move _on_ from all of this hurt.

"_Months_?" Alice whispered in disbelief. "But why? You _loved _living with Charlie," she stammered.

"I didn't cope very well when Edward left," I whispered. My face flamed in shame as I thought about how much of an understatement that was. "I didn't have a choice. Renee came to Forks and dragged me to Florida. I didn't put up a fight... if I didn't go with my mom, Charlie was threatening to..."

I trailed off and stared at Edward beseechingly, trying to convey with my expression alone that I wanted him to change the subject. His own eyes hardened as he refused my silent request. He wanted to hear my explanation as much as everyone else.

"Charlie was threatening to _what,_ Bella?" Alice asked, her expression as cold as steel. My mouth opened and closed several times as I tried to work out how I was going to tell them just how bad things had been with Edward gone.

"_Bella!"_ Alice whipped. Her harsh tone made me flinch and I scrunched my eyes closed, not wanting to see their reactions.

"He was threatening to have me committed," I whispered reluctantly. "He called the Adult Protective Services – told them that I was… _struggling."_

Edward groaned underneath me and I clasped his hands a little tighter. "Struggling?" He whispered. "Bella, you're going to have to give us more than that…." The pain in his voice was poorly concealed and I _cursed_ Alice for pushing me on this.

"Edward? If you want to know more about this, then that's fine – but I don't have to explain myself to everyone else. I'm in a relationship with _you – _not them." I reasoned. Alice seemed hurt that I wasn't going to tell her everything and I had to stifle my smile. Silly Alice, didn't she know that she was my best friend? Of course I was going to tell her. I concentrated on making that particular decision and she grinned at me – all angst and angry pixie woe forgotten.

"Okay," she beamed, "so you didn't apply to any colleges – but it's not too late. Maybe we can call a few, try to set something up-"

"Alice," I cut across her. "They wont take me."

"Sure they will, Bella. All they need is a little gentle persuasion," she grinned. I knew exactly how the Cullen's persuaded people to do what they wanted – but _money_ wouldn't solve this problem.

"Alice, you can throw as much money as you like at this, but it wont change the fact that I can't go to college yet." I threw my head into my hands and waited for the fallout. "I haven't finished high school. I dropped out when I moved to Florida," I murmured.

"Bella!" She shrieked. "You dropped _out_? I can't believe you!"

"A wise man once told me it was healthy to ditch from time to time," I chuckled. Alice shot me an angry glare, but to my surprise, Edward let out an amused snort and buried his face into my neck.

"Edward Cullen! How can you think that this is _funny?_" Alice seethed. "Are you not _listening?_ Bella dropped out of high school!"

"Oh Alice, what difference does it make?" He laughed. "She has all of eternity to get her diploma."

Alice and Esme both let out ear splitting shrieks as they frantically raked their eyes over me and Edward.

"Eternity?" Esme whispered.

"You're going to... you're going to _change_ her?" Alice whispered, her face a picture of disbelief.

Edward chuckled again and pulled me a little tighter into his lap. "If she'll have me," he murmured as he kissed my shoulder. "It's all up to Bella now," he smiled. Alice shrieked again and ran over to us, pulling me away from Edward and into her arms a little tighter than she should have.

"Gently, Alice." Edward admonished. Her grip loosened a little, but the euphoric smile never left her sweet face.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she giggled, not looking repentant at all. "But this is the best news_ ever_! I never thought he would agree to it. I've been nagging him since the day we met you but he wouldn't listen. Oh Bella, I'm so _happy! _The family will be finally complete!"

"Awesome! A newborn! Finally a little competition round here." Emmett crowed. "It gets boring beating everyone all the time."

"Oh please, Emmett. Rosalie serves you your ass every seven seconds. It gets boring _watching_ you being beaten all the time," I quipped. Everyone laughed – even _Rosalie, _but Emmett growled. His face lost all of it's usual humour and slipped into a deadly mask of anger. He dipped into a crouch in front of me and roared in my face. I held my composure as he let himself loose. It was a strange thing to observe... My vampires had always seemed so _human_, but in that moment, all pretence was gone. Emmett was most definitely a vampire.

"That's cute, Emmy. That one almost scared me," I lied. Emmett's face dropped into a mask of disbelief, before he shook his head in bemusement.

"Fuck me, Belly, you're going to make one _kick ass_ vampire. You didn't even _flinch._ You are one strange, little human, baby sis." He chuckled.

"I'm Edward's _singer_, Emmett. I think we've established the fact that I have _literally_ no sense of self-preservation." I laughed as I leant further into Edward's arms.

"That must really _'suck.'" _He joked. Everyone groaned at him as he grinned on, oblivious.

"No kidding. It really bites._"_ I dead-panned.

"Oh Bella, not you too," Edward whined. "Don't encourage him, _please._"

"Okay, okay," Emmett conceded. "But seriously, Bella – when you're turned? You and me – wrestling. With my extra muscle and your newborn strength, we'll be pretty evenly matched." He grinned.

"Mmm. Neck and neck," I smiled. Emmett howled at me and Jasper slapped his hands over his face.

"Oh my God, stop!" Jasper ordered. "Seriously, these jokes are terrible!"

I gripped onto Alice as we fell onto the floor in a fit of laughter. It was stupid, really. The jokes _were_ terrible – but me and Alice had always had a way of turning the most innocuous things into a giggle fest.

"Did you know why Edward_ really _broke up with me?" I laughed. "I wasn't – I wasn't his '_type'._"

She rolled over and we ended up in a big tangle of limbs on the floor as we laughed.

"I know! He _told_ me – see, we're a very close family, Bella. After all, '_blood _is_ thicker than water!'"_ She screeched. Tears were streaming down my face as I laughed. I was struggling to pull enough air into my lungs and Alice actually made a dent in the floor when she slapped her tiny fists into the wood as she cackled.

With great effort, we finally managed to pull ourselves together a few minutes later, still letting out the occasional tired chuckle. I glanced at the family, who were all watching us with adoring expressions – no one more so than Jasper... but his eyes weren't fixed on his wife. They were trained on _me. _I felt a massive wave of gratitude wash over me and raised my eyebrows at him. What was he thanking me for? His eyes flitted over to Alice, briefly, and I realised what he was trying to say. He was thanking me for making Alice smile. Silly Jasper! He didn't need to do _that_. She was my best _friend!_ I sent a wave of understanding back to him and he winked at me.

The last of my amusement died when I saw the expression on Edward's face, though. He looked heart broken as he observed me and Alice. We were finally on our feet, still holding hands and _beaming_ at everyone.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I am so _unbelievably _ sorry for ever separating the two of you." His expression was so _painfully_ sad, that I walked straight over to him and pulled his head into my chest.

"I had no right," he murmured. "I never should have done it." His voice was so quiet – it almost sounded as though he were about to cry.

"No. You didn't." Alice spat. I shot her a glare and she nodded. I didn't need to explain anything to her. She knew that I was asking her to back off. That's just the way things were between us. Nothing needed an explanation – she was my sister. She knew me better than I knew myself.

"It's done now, Edward." I soothed. "We can all move on."

I felt him nod against my chest, but he offered no verbal response. Elizabeth smiled at me as she watched me care for her son and I smiled right back. I couldn't imagine how hard this was for her. The last time she had seen Edward, he had relied solely on _her_. But now, he had a whole new family for support and she would have to share his love. I was immensely grateful that she seemed to be okay with this fact. I would never have wanted him to have to _chose_ between his families. It would have been impossible.

"So," Emmett yelled. "Back to the original question. Where are we going now?"

"What would _you_ like to do, Bella?" Esme asked. "We've all lived for centuries. We've done everything that we wanted to achieve... so what would you like to try, sweetheart?"

"Well," I began, "there _are_ things I want to try before I'm changed. Things that wont mean as much once I'm a vampire," I whispered. Edward's head snapped up and he grinned at me. I hadn't realised that I had just confirmed that I wanted to be _changed_ one day.

"Like what?" He smiled. I bristled, knowing that he wasn't going to like my future plans and decided to ease him into it – _gently._

"Well, firstly, I've already decided to do all of these things – with or without your help... but it would be much _safer, _if I had a big strong vampire to assist me, so _please_ hear me out." I hedged. Emmett and Jasper were laughing at my obvious attempts at flattery, but Edward was _lapping_ it up.

"Like what, baby?" He smiled.

"He called her_ baby!_" Alice whisper-yelled. "What has gotten _into _him?"

Edward seemed oblivious to Alice, though – or anyone else in the room. He was staring only at me and everyone else seemed to have faded away.

"Well," I whispered. "I want to travel."

"Where?" He grinned.

"I want to go to Paris. I want to visit the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral. I want to go to London and shop in Oxford Street. I want to see Buckingham Palace and ride on the London eye," I whispered.

"Anywhere else?" He mused, a sweet smile covering his features.

"Rome, Rio, Barcelona, Prague, Sydney, Berlin…. Edward – there are _so_ many places that I want to see," I breathed.

"It's done, baby. I'll take care of it, I promise. What else would you like to do?" My heart fluttered as I stared at him. He seemed so genuinely _happy_ that I was letting him do this. He had always wanted to take care of me, and I had denied him time and time again. After seeing his happy face, I would never deny him anything else as long as I lived.

"I want to sky dive," I murmured. His eyebrows rose in shock, so I hurried to placate him. "But you can jump with me. That way, if the parachute doesn't open, you'll be there to keep me safe."

He seemed to think over my proposal before nodding. His face calmed once more and he smiled again.

"Keep going," he prompted. I pulled out the stool next to him and took a seat, resting my feet in his lap.

"Swim with dolphins!" I grinned. "Alice says that they wont come near me once I'm changed, so I want to try it while I'm human."

"Next?" He smiled.

"Fly a helicopter! Or a plane – I don't care which. Maybe both?" I giggled.

"Keep talking, baby," he murmured. "I want to know everything. Leave no stone unturned."

"I want to go sailing, somewhere hot and exotic. Somewhere that wont risk your exposure. I want to see you sparkle," I grinned. "Oh and I want to spend a night in a historic hotel. You know the ones where you have to solve the murder mysteries? Oh and can we scuba dive in the great barrier reef? I want you to teach me to Tango in Argentina… and I want to trek through the Amazon -"

Emmett burst out laughing and I glared at him. "I am aware that _that_ one may actually be the cause of my demise, so we should do it last. That way, if I fall out of a tree or get bitten by something fatally poisonous, you can just change me there and then. Deal?"

Edward stood up, pulled me into his arms and smiled. "Bella, love – we can do _all_ of those things, just as soon as you want to. Just say the word and I'll buy some tickets," he whispered.

"Good grief Edward, I wasn't going to make you _pay_ for it. I have Charlie's inheritance money. He would want me to spend it doing something fun. He wouldn't want me to waste my life." I grinned.

Edward's face fell and I internally smacked myself. Hadn't I _just_ decided to let him do more for me? Hadn't I _just_ realised how important it was to him to be able to take care of me?

"Of course, love," He nodded. "Anything you want." He kissed the side of my head, but his heart wasn't in it – something I never would have even noticed when we were in Forks. He was so good at concealing his feelings from me… well, not any more. I could read him like a book after my moment of clarity.

I knew that it was going to be difficult to let go of the reigns. I was so used to looking after myself – but Edward _needed_ this. He had been raised with the idea that it was his _job_ to provide for me… and I was destroying that part of him. I swallowed my pride and sent a mental apology to my fellow sister suffragettes who were probably scowling at me from the heavens.

"But then again, you know way more about this sort of thing... Would you mind organising it for me, sweetheart?" I asked. His whole face lit up at my request and any remaining doubt disappeared at the sight of his boyish expression.

"Of course, baby," he beamed. "I'll do some research today and we can look through what I find tonight?" He confirmed. I grinned and tucked my head into his chest. If I had known it would be so easy to please him, I would have done it ages ago. He wasn't taking complete control at all – he was willing to talk everything through with me before he made any decisions – he just wanted to do the _research. _

"I want to do all of those things!" Emmett whined. "Can I go too?"

I glanced at Edward, who shrugged. "This is _your_ party, baby. Invite who you like." He smiled. I turned back to Emmett, who was jumping up and down like a kid on Christmas morning;

"Sure you can come, Emmett. The more the merrier." I smiled. His answering grin was reward enough as he ran over to me and scooped me into a cuddle.

"No more school for me this year!" He grinned. "..._and_ I get to see miss clumsy fall out of a plane."

"Shut it, Emmett. She'll be brilliant," Alice smiled. "I'm coming too!"

"Anyone else?" Edward chuckled. "Raise your hands."

I swallowed my tongue when I saw every single hand in the room fly into the air.

"You all want to come with me?" I asked in shock.

"Are you _kidding_ Bella?" Emmett grinned. "This next year, is going to be _epic!"_

I looked around at my silly, motley family and smiled. They were going to ditch their own lives to celebrate the final year of mine – my _human_ one anyway. No more school, or work or college. I was going to see the _world..._ and they were all coming with me.

It couldn't come soon enough!

* * *

**There you have it. It's not the best thing I've ever written - but for an hours work, it's readable. Thank you for all the amazing reviews! Hope you enjoyed it. More tomorrow! (",)**


	13. Chapter 13

I stood to the side of the room and watched in rapt fascination as the boys argued. They were talking far too quickly for me to hear most of it, but the snippets of conversation that I _did_ catch, were amusing.

"Dude, you can't let her miss out on seeing the pyramids," Emmett argued.

"Emmett," Jasper whispered tiredly as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Where are the pyramids located?"

"Egypt?" Emmett answered, though it sounded more like a question.

"…and what is the weather typically like in Egypt, Emmett?" Jasper hinted, as though he were speaking to a child. Emmett stared blankly at his brother before realisation dawned on him.

"Yeah, it's sunny – I get that," he muttered as he rolled his eyes, "but we can go at night!" He insisted.

"Emmett, Bella can't see in the dark like we can," Mr. Masen reminded him.

"Then we'll bring a torch! Or she can go and have a look while we hide in the shade." Emmett yelled. "Stop making problems out of nothing. She's seeing the pyramids and that's _final."_

"I bet you an entire plate _full_ of human food that she falls off her camel in less than ten seconds," Jasper chuckled.

"…and breaks a bone in the process," Emmett grinned. "Nah, no dice. I'm not taking that bet. You'll win for sure."

A loud chorus of laughter came from the girls, who were securing the house before we left.

"I'm standing right here, you know," I grumbled. They ignored me, as thou I hadn't spoken, and carried on with their plans.

"White water rafting!" Emmett roared. "She'll love that."

"Ten thousand says that she'll capsize the boat in less than ten seconds," Jasper wagered.

"Less than three!" Emmett replied.

My mouth dropped open in shock but no one was paying attention to me. Everyone seemed to be trying to muffle their laughter.

"You know, you _can _speak too quietly for me to hear you," I huffed. "There's no need to place bets on my demise in _front_ of me."

Edward's head snapped up and he was looking at me as though he had completely forgotten that I was there at all.

"Bella, love. Come on over – let me show you what we've got planned so far." He grinned. His dazzling smile disarmed me completely and I felt my mild irritation fade away as I walked over to him. He opened his arms and I slipped easily onto his lap as he pushed a massive stack of papers in my direction.

"The general consensus seems to be that everyone wants to leave Chicago as soon as possible. We're booked on the red-eye tonight," he murmured into my temple.

"Okay," I smiled, trusting his judgement, "where are we going first?"

"First stop; England," he smiled. My face split into an incredible smile and Edward beamed in response. "We know how much you've always wanted to go – and the weather will be perfect. It will be hot - but they're due for cloud cover in London over the next few days."

I let out a very un-ladylike screech and threw my arms around Edward's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I yelled as I peppered little kisses all over his face. He was still chuckling at me as I de-tangled myself from him and ran out of the room.

"Baby? Where are you going?" Edward called after me in alarm. I didn't pause as I answered him – I carried on racing up the stairs and flew into my room.

"I'm going to help Alice pack!" I yelled back at him. I took one look at my closet and panicked. I didn't have a clue what I would need to bring. I was useless at stuff like this. For the first time in my life, I actually _cared_ what I was wearing – but that didn't mean I had a clue what I was _doing._

"Alice?" I yelled, unnecessarily. "Help!"

She materialised in front of me with her mouth hanging open in shock. "Isabella Marie Swan, are you asking me to help you _pack?_ You're actually giving me permission to choose your _clothes?_" Her expression was so disbelieving that I actually had to bite my lip to stifle the giggles that were threatening to break free.

"No," I dead-panned, and her face fell. "I'm asking you to take me _shopping_. You may dress me as you please and I shall smile the _whole_ time. We'll need to buy _everything_, Alice." I grinned. "Sound like fun?" I teased. My beautiful sister was practically vibrating with excitement as she threw me onto her back and raced me down to the kitchen. We came to a stop in front of the boys and I jumped off her back.

"Edward? Something is wrong with Bella," Alice whispered. "She just asked me to take her shopping!"

Edward walked over to me and swept me into his arms. "So I heard," he chuckled. "I like seeing you so happy," he whispered.

"Is this not going to be very boring for you all? You've all seen the world a hundred times already," I murmured from Edward's embrace.

"We haven't seen it through _your_ eyes, Bella," Jasper smiled. "It will be entirely different doing things from a human point of view. Everything is so _easy_ for us..." he trailed off sadly. I hated the unhappy smile on his face and sent him a wave of pure excitement, hoping that my feelings would rub off on him. He grinned at me and projected my exhilaration onto everyone else in the room.

"Is that what you're feeling, baby?" Edward asked. "You're really that excited?" His hopeful voice sent a shot of pure love through my heart and I nodded at him, unable to speak around the lump that had formed in my throat.

"So are we going shopping then?" Alice shrieked as she bounced over to us, breaking the spell between me and Edward.

"Sure. Lets go, woman!" I commanded. Alice sank onto her knees, allowing me to jump onto her back. As soon as I was secure, I blew a kiss at Edward and tightened my grip around Alice's neck.

"Wait," Edward yelled. He fumbled in his pockets before pulling out a black AMEX card. I swallowed my pride and took it from his outstretched hand, with no fuss. He seemed surprised, but wisely chose to say nothing.

"Would you mind picking me up some things as well, baby? I need – well, everything," he winced.

"Consider it done," I grinned. He grimaced and stepped closer to me, taking my hands in his own.

"Buy what you want with this card, Bella. I don't want you wasting your inheritance money. I want to pay for this trip. All of it," he whispered, testing my reaction. I bit the inside of my cheek and ignored my initial reaction, which was to throw the card at his head and call him a chauvinist. Instead, I took a deep breath and smiled, slipping the card into my pocket.

"Thank you, Edward," I whispered. His eyes bulged as he processed my words. Apparently, he was as surprised by my reaction as I was.

"Good," He whispered in sheer disbelief. "That's – that's really good."

I pressed a kiss to his dazed face and giggled as he didn't even notice. He was still too stunned by my easy agreement.

"Giddy up, Alice!" I yelled. She let out an indignant huff and raced off into the trees, leaving my very bewildered sweetheart in the dust. Our journey to the mall took less than forty-five seconds on Alice's back. She was obviously much faster than a taxi.

"We'll have to walk from here, Bella. People might think it strange if I carried you," she giggled. I shimmied down off her back and we walked arm in arm out onto the street opposite the shops. I had to hand it to her – she really did offer door to door service.

"So, what first?" she grinned.

"Well, we both know that I haven't got a clue about fashion, so I was thinking that I would let _you_ do all of that. I've got some other things to do," I murmured.

"Like what?" She grinned. "Make a decision!"

I scrunched my eyes closed and imagined what I wanted. I couldn't believe that the thought had ever entered my head, but here it was. I wanted a leg _wax._

"Bella! You're going to a salon? Oh I never thought I would see the day! Edward is going to _love_ it," she winked. "Okay – you need to go up to the second floor. I'll meet you there in an hour?" she babbled.

"Sure – an hour. Have fun Alice!" I yelled at her retreating figure. Once she was out of sight, I ambled up the stairs and wandered along the crowded corridor. As soon as I laid eyes on the salon, my heart rate accelerated and my brain finally realised what I was about to do. I took a deep, calming breath and walked inside. A chirpy blonde walked over to me and smiled, her teeth _dazzlingly_ white.

"Good Morning, I'm Amber. Welcome to Vanity Fayre. Do you have an appointment?" She twinkled.

"Oh, er – no. I don't have an appointment. Do you have any free slots?" I hedged, not knowing how these things worked.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" She asked. She led me over to a small table and set a brochure down in front of me. My eyes bulged when I saw all the options. I didn't even know what half of them _were!_ My phone chimed from my pocket and I pulled it out, wanting to silence the stupid thing.

_From: Alice Cullen_

_Get the set option one, Bella. You can do this! _

I placed the brochure down on the table, not wanting to know what it entailed and smiled as the receptionist.

"Set option one, please –if you have the time." I asked hesitantly.

"Of course! Hilda will be seeing to your needs. Come with me," she smiled. I followed her out of the main hair salon and into one of the back rooms. A small leather bed lay in the centre, while soft music played from the speakers over the wall.

"Go ahead and change into the gown provided. Hilda will be through in a moment," Amber whispered as she left the room. I took a deep breath and did as instructed, trying to clam my nerves. Once I was safely dressed in the clean gown, I lay on the bed and awaited my doom. The door creaked open ominously, and I shrank a little further into the bed, hoping that the sadist wouldn't see me there.

"Hello, I'm Hilda."

_Fuck it – not invisible after all._

"Er, hello Hilda," I mumbled. She chuckled and moved further into the room, allowing me to see her.

"First time?" She asked. I nodded my head and flinched when she dragged a steel trolley over to me. You know – the type they use in operating theatres? Like I said – _sadist._

"Don't be nervous. It will sting a little, but waxing really isn't all that painful," She smiled. It didn't fool me. I had heard _many_ stories about waxing – not one person had ever said that it only 'stung ' a little.

"Okay, first things first, I'll need your left leg. You can prop it up – it will be more comfortable," she smiled. I did as she asked and tried to relax to the sound of the soothing music... easier said than done when someone is pouring molten wax onto your leg. I would have guessed that it was only _slightly_ hotter than the branding iron used to torture prisoners of war. She smoothed a piece of cloth over my now steam-roasted thigh, and I clenched the table with my fingers, knowing what was about to happen.

"Relax, sweetheart. Take a deep breath," she instructed. Out of self-preservation, I did the opposite. After all, who listens to a sadist? I held in a lungful of air while she _ripped _the skin and muscle clean off my leg. My scream never made it to my throat. I didn't dare open my eyes, not wanting to see what was left of my mutilated thigh. I was about to high tail it out of there, but the mega bitch had already doused the next portion of my battered leg in her concoction of boiling acid.

"Ready?" She smiled.

_Don't smile at me bitch! If ever Jasper feels like he's going to slip up in his diet, I'm going to direct him _straight _to you!_

"Yep," I spat through clenched teeth.

"AAAAAAARGH!"

On and on the torture continued, until I had been scrubbed, exfoliated, tweezed, waxed, threaded and plucked into oblivion. I was amazed that I had any hair _left _– or skin, for that matter_. _Alice came bouncing in as soon as I was dressed, sporting a massive grin on her face.

"You did it! I can't believe you actually _did_ it! I thought you were going to back out!" she giggled.

"Well, this isn't for me," I whispered. "I want to look nice for Edward." My blush was bright red but I held my head high for once. I wasn't going to be embarrassed for wanting to look good for him. Every woman wants to feel desired by their partner. I was no different.

"Well, I can promise you now that he is going to _love_ it, Bella..." she grinned. I shook my head at her and waddled out into the reception. Let me tell you, bikini waxing? _Not_ for the faint hearted.

"All done?" Amber smiled. I nodded and handed her Edward's card. I felt ripped off. Why was I paying _them? _I'm fairly certain that I'm owed some serious malpractice compensation – or at the very least I could file a lawsuit for physical assault.

"Here you are," Amber smiled as she passed me back the AMEX. "Come back again soon," she smiled.

"Not bloody likely," I grumbled as I stepped out of the chamber of pain. I was _never_ going back there. Edward would just have to get used to the 'hairy' look. He was always worried that I was cold... well now I would have hairy, heat-retaining, thermal legs.

There. Problem solved.

"Oh Bella, was it really that bad?" Alice giggled. I spun around to face her and winced at the dull ache that had settled between my legs.

"_That_ woman made James and Victoria look like the _Teletubbies_, Alice," I seethed. "She made bloodthirsty Jasper look like a unicorn hugging a leprechaun underneath a rainbow in a field of fucking wild flowers, so _yes- _it was _that_ bad!"

Alice slapped her hand over her mouth as she desperately tried to subdue her amusement. I wanted more than anything to hit her, but I just couldn't. Her cute little laugh had the corners of my mouth twitching and before I could stop it, a bubble of laughter erupted from between my own lips.

"A unicorn hugging a leprechaun?" She howled.

"I may have been exaggerating – but only slightly," I chuckled. We walked arm in arm, still giggling all the way out of the mall. Once we were safely concealed in the trees, I climbed onto her back and sighed.

"My very own ice-pack," I groaned.

"Ew, Bella. That's nasty!" Alice screeched. She took off like a shot and raced through the trees, far too fast for any human to see... not that there were any out here. When she finally slowed to a stop, I fell off of her back and landed on the floor with a thump.

"Bella's home!" Emmett yelled. "Who bet less than three seconds until she fell over?"

"I did," Jasper grinned as he walked out of the house towards us. "Your shopping bags are all inside, ladies. The car service dropped them off a moment ago." He offered each of us an arm and led us into the house. I had barely stepped over the threshold before Edward pulled me into his arms.

"Ready to go, love?" He whispered.

"Gently, Edward. She's in pain!" Alice screeched. Edward tensed and pulled me closer as he examined me.

"Baby? Where does it hurt? Bella? Tell me, love..." He asked frantically. The feel of his hands roaming over every inch of my body pulled my attention away from his words, and I concentrated solely on his hands.

"Bella?"

"Leprechaun," I murmured in distraction.

Alice's snort of amusement pulled me from my daydream and I shook my head at Edward.

"I'm okay, sweetheart," I whispered. "...and yes. I'm ready for our adventure now."

* * *

**AN: Phew! That one was the last one in Chicago - next up, LONDON! Hope you're all still with me... and once again, thank you for the lovely reviews. Every single one is precious to me. I'm actually starting to believe that _one_ day, I may actually be able to make a career out of writing. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. MORE TOMORROW!**


	14. Chapter 14

The car service arrived again less than ten minutes later to transport us all to the airport. The Cullen's were loading our bags and securing my house, while I helped Elizabeth close up Edward's childhood home. Well, I say _help, _ but I was probably more of a hindrance. She could have covered her furniture much faster than I could. Though, it did make me think;

"Elizabeth? What are you going to do about the realtor?" I asked. "Someone might buy the house now that it isn't _haunted_. Edward will be heartbroken if he loses it now."

The worry in my tone must have been poorly concealed, because Elizabeth came over and clasped my shoulders with her hands. "It's okay now, my dear," she beamed. "It turns out that Edward has owned the house all along. He bought it – not long after he was changed, but never set foot in the place. When he realised that he never _would,_ he asked Jasper to sell it for him. He couldn't face it himself," she whispered.

I followed her eyes as she scanned the room, sadly. "This house has been our home for over a century," she whispered. "It will be strange to leave it now..."

"You've _never_ lived anywhere else? In ninety years, you didn't move at all?" I asked in surprise. I wondered logistically how they had managed it. The Cullen's moved every five years, without fail.

"We didn't go out much at all, dear. Once we were... _reborn_ into our new lives, we hid. We came back to this very house and seldom left the place. The world – the world was fast changing, and we had no place in it," she whispered. My stomach dropped as her words sunk into my mind... when I realised what she was trying to tell me. She had _literally_ closed herself off from the world and refused to be a part of it. As I look around, I realised that there were no recent newspapers, no mail – they didn't even have a television.

"Elizabeth?" I hedged. "Just how long has it been since you went into town? How long has it been since you've been around other people?" My tone was shaky as I dreaded her answer. The more I looked around the old room, the more I realised that this house was a _shrine_ to the olden days. They hadn't changed a single thing.

"Over ninety years," she breathed. "I've only left to hunt in the local greenery. You are the first human I've really spoken to since I awoke as a vampire."

My breath flew from my chest as I slid down onto the floor. I placed my hand over my racing heart and willed myself not to be sick. This poor family. This poor, shattered woman...

"Bella, dear. Please do not distress yourself," Elizabeth fretted as she pulled me into her arms.

"Does he know? Does Edward know this?" I whispered as I clutched my heart.

"He does now," Edward seethed from the doorway. I groaned at the pain in his voice, wishing that all the hurt and angst could be over for them.

"Mother, could you refrain from upsetting Bella, so? Her heart is racing and Jasper informs me that her emotions are not to be tested. She's human – she can only withstand so much," he whispered as he pulled me into his arms.

"Yes. Yes, of course. Forgive me, Bella," Elizabeth whispered as she fled the room.

"Edward, go after her," I murmured. Though I contradicted that statement by gripping the front of his shirt, desperately.

"She's fine, love," he breathed. "My father is with her." His soothing caresses calmed me, but not enough for me to let the revelation go.

"Edward, if she hasn't been into town in ninety years, this is going to be too much for her," I stammered. "Think about how much the world has _changed_. Just the fashion alone... In your era, it was provocative for a girl to show her ankles!"

"Ssh baby," he soothed. "She'll be fine. They _both_ will – we will all be with them, wont we?" he murmured into the skin of my shoulder. I managed a small nod, before wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. I _needed_ to be held.

"I've got you, love," he whispered as he gripped onto me. "Come on, everyone is waiting. We'll miss our plane."

I nodded against his shoulder as he flicked off the lights and carried me out to one of the waiting cars. He slid me in next to Jasper, who shocked the hell out of me by wrapping his arm around my shoulders. He had shown me more affection in the last two days than he had done in an entire year at Forks.

"Will we come back here one day, Edward?" I whispered as the driver pulled away from the houses.

"As often as you like," he assured me with a smile. "This is just a vacation, baby. Chicago will always be our home – if you want it to be."

"Yes," I whispered, looking out the window. "I would like that."

The wave of excitement that washed over me a moment later was artificial, and I shot a grin at Jasper. It had the desired effect, though as I felt my _real_ excitement ebbing in again.

_We're going to LONDON!_

"Now that's more like it, Darlin'," Jasper grinned.

"We're going to _England_!" I laughed. "We're actually going!" I was bouncing in my seat and I distinctly heard the driver chuckle at me from the front seat. I turned to Alice, Jasper and Edward – but they were all looking at me as though they had never seen me before.

"Aren't you _excited?" _I grinned at them.

"Not as much as you, clearly," Alice smirked. "Remember Bella, that we've all been there before – a few times, actually. None of this is _new_ for us. We're just going to enjoy _your_ excitement for a while," she smiled kindly.

"Whatever, be boring!" I giggled. "I don't care what you say – I'm super excited and I'm going to embarrass you all."

"Er, how do you plan to do that exactly?" Jasper asked, worriedly.

"I'm going to be the _worst_ kind of tourist, Jasper," I smiled. "I want pictures of all of you in front of _every_ silly landmark."

"You're going to take pictures?" Alice asked in bemusement.

"Not all of us have perfect recall, Alice," I whispered, not wanting the driver to overhear me. "Besides, who knows how much of this I'll remember once Edward changes me. I'm going to document every single perfect moment!"

"We can help with that, Bells," Jasper smiled. "You just worry about enjoying yourself – let us take care of the pictures."

"O'Hare International," the driver called from the front seat. "We're at the departure lounge."

"Ooh! I can't wait!" I grinned as I jumped over Jasper to get out of the car. I ignored the chuckles behind me and ran over to Emmett, who was unloading bags onto a trolley from the other car.

"Whoa there, kiddo," he chuckled. "In a hurry?"

"Aren't _you?_" I enthused. "We're going on vacation, Emmett! No school or homework... just fun!"

He stared at me blankly for a moment, absorbing my words, before a brilliant smile lit up his face.

"Hell yeah we are, baby sis! Whoop!" He crouched down on his knees and I knew that he wanted me to climb onto his back. I cast a worried glance at Rosalie, who was watching her husband enjoying himself with adoration written all over her features. She met my eyes when I didn't move and shrugged at me.

"It's okay," she whispered, awkwardly.

I grinned and jumped onto Emmett. You had to hand it t Rosalie – she may have hated me completely, but she loved her husband... and if Emmett wanted to carry me through the airport, she was going to let him, despite her own annoyance. Above everything else, she wanted him to be happy.

"Come on then, kiddo." He grinned. Normally, I would have shied away from being the centre of attention – you wouldn't have seen me being paraded through the airport like a pantomime horse, but tonight? I couldn't care less. This was the first day of my final year as a human – and I was damn well going to enjoy it.

Once we were all checked in, Alice and I killed time in the shops until boarding - Even _Rosalie_ came with us. We were in a souvenir shop, just browsing, when I decided to buy a memento from our first stop.

"Oh Bella, that's a great idea!" Alice squealed as she saw my decision pan out.

"What's a great idea?" Rosalie asked as she dropped a book back onto it's display. I waited for Alice to answer – she had always acted like a buffer between me and Rosalie, but she just... walked _away_ from us. I turned to Rosalie and wondered if she would actually want me to answer her, or if she would just walk away too.

No such luck – she stood next to me, with her hand on her hip as she waited for a reply.

"I decided to buy something in every place we visit," I whispered. "Like a trip souvenir."

She glanced at the display in front of me and grimaced. "Fridge magnets?" Her eyebrows raised as she eyed them all with distaste.

"I'm not sure, yet. I haven't decided _what_ to buy, just that I want to buy _something._" I muttered as I walked away.

"Hey, Bella? Hold up." She called. I spun back around and braced myself for whatever sarcastic retort she had planned.

"What about things for the house?" She mused. I stepped closer to her and she gestured to a glass vase that was on display. It wasn't a tourist souvenir, but it was very pretty.

"I'm assuming that you and Edward will be living together when you move back to Chicago next year?" She asked. I nodded, in confusion, but didn't interrupt her.

"Well, why don't you buy things for your home?" she asked. "That way, when people visit and admire your 'vase', you can say – 'oh we picked that up in Chicago,' or 'we bought that when we visited France.' You'll be able to document your trip without it looking... er,"

"Tacky?" I grinned, surprised by her helpful suggestion. Her face split into a relieved smile and she moved even closer to me.

"Oh thank God. I thought you were going to be all pissy at me for stopping you from buying the dreadful magnets," she giggled.

"They are really awful," I laughed. I picked up one which was shaped like a tornado. It had 'The Windy City' scrawled across the bottom of it and Rosalie giggled, too. The shop owner was throwing us furious glares, but we ignored her and carried on laughing.

"You could do both," Alice suggested as she appeared from nowhere. "You could get the magnets too, just to be a little bit cheesy. Edward would love it... also, it might stop us from being escorted out of here by security. The sales assistant is really cross with you both. She heard every word that you said!" She whisper yelled.

"Ah shit," Rosalie huffed, picking up the awful magnet and taking it over to the cashier. "Here, we'll take it," she grumbled as she rummaged around for her cash.

"Guys, they're calling our flight," Jasper said as he strode into the shop and grabbed Alice's hand. They walked on ahead, but I decided to wait for Rosalie, after all – she had just paid three dollars for my tacky magnet.

We walked back towards our gate and Rosalie passed me the paper bag with my tawdry gift.

"Here you are, Bella. Er, good luck in your new home." She grimaced. I took one look at her face, which was scowling at the bag and lost it. I burst out in uncontrollable giggles, bringing Rosalie right along with me.

"Well _shit_, Bella. If that magnet is a sign of things to come in your future relationship with my brother, you're _doomed_ from the start," she howled. I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to control my chuckles, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Edward pacing in front of the row of seat in the departure lounge. His eyes snapped up when he saw me approach and his jaw dropped when he saw me and Rosalie actually _laughing_ together. Emmett seemed equally confused.

"Rosie? Is everything okay babe? We were a bit_ worried_ when Alice said that you two were..." Emmett trailed off, looking between us.

"Alone together?" Rosalie smirked. "She's fine babe. I didn't eat her, I promise."

"See, Edward? I _told_ you to trust me. Good grief, have I ever steered you wrong? They were just paying for their things. They can be civil, you know." Alice grumbled. Edward didn't seem certain and pulled me into his side. Rosalie rolled her eyes, but didn't argue with him.

"Come on," Edward murmured, still dazed. "We're boarding, love."

I nodded, still chuckling and slipped my new souvenir into my carry on, which I placed onto the conveyor belt as I took off my shoes and walked through the metal detector. I always hated this part. Every time I boarded a plane, I was terrified that I would set the damn alarms off if I was wearing something metal. It had never happened to me yet, though.

Edward took care of the tickets and grabbed my carry on, insisting that he held it for me. I turned to face Elizabeth as we walked onto the plane and took our seats... first class, obviously. Can you imagine the Cullen's flying coach with the rest of us peasants? Ha!

"Are you okay, Elizabeth?" I asked. She seemed so quiet and withdrawn as her eyes darted around the cabin. She was practically clinging onto Mr. Masen.

"Y-yes. I'm fine, dear. Thank you," she stammered. I threw a concerned glance at Edward, who was watching his parents worriedly.

"What do I do?" He mouthed at me silently. I didn't get to answer him before the plane took off, slowly climbing into the clouds. I didn't allow myself to get too comfortable, though. Once the seat-belt light was turned off, I hopped out of my bed-sized seat and moved towards Elizabeth. She had her eyes scrunched closed and was muttering to herself, far too quietly for me to hear.

"Elizabeth?" I whispered. She didn't answer – I doubt that she had even heard me. She looked so small and scared.

"Mr. Masen? Can I squeeze in next to you?" I asked. He nodded, not breaking eye contact with his wife who was still unresponsive. I sandwiched myself between him and Elizabeth and placed my hand over her own. Her eyes flew open as she whipped around to stare at me – the movement was far too fast to do in front of the other human passengers.

"It's okay Elizabeth – we're okay," I murmured as I stroked her hand. She relaxed her grip on the arm rest and took a deep, stuttering breath.

"Forgive me, Bella. I'm just a little overwhelmed. I've never flown before. We didn't – we couldn't..." she trailed off in a whisper.

"You're afraid of flying?" I surmised. She nodded and tightened her grip on the chair once more. I heard it groaning ominously and realised that I needed to calm her down before she exposed herself – or damaged the plane irreparably.

"You don't need to be afraid, Elizabeth. We're perfectly safe up here. Even if anything _were_ to go wrong, it's not as though you wouldn't survive the crash," I teased. An unwilling smile crept onto her lips, and her grip lessened once more.

"Look out the window, Elizabeth. Look at the view," I murmured, fondly. She cracked one eye open and risked a glance out of the small cabin window. I smiled the moment I heard her amazed gasp. I could imagine what she was seeing. Chicago – lit up at night.

"So beautiful," she whispered. "Edward darling, _look_," she murmured. Mr. Masen reluctantly removed his gaze from his wife and glanced out the window. We lost them both after that.

I knew then, in that moment, what Jasper had meant. Sure, he had travelled the world countless times, but to see it through the eyes of someone else as they experienced it for the first time – _that_, was truly special.

It felt like two minutes later when Edward shook me awake; "Bella, baby? We've landed sweetheart. We have to get off the plane," he murmured.

I shook my head and held my arms up, wanting him to lift me up.

"No baby," he refused. "Come on, open your eyes. I'm not carrying you. I know you'll be upset if you miss our arrival in London. Come on love," he coaxed. I huffed, but knew he was right. I _really_ wanted to see London- even if it was only the airport. I wrenched my eyes open and stood up, stretching my legs out after being still for so long.

"Bella? What are you doing?" Emmett asked in bemusement.

"Stretching, Emmett. Most people can't sit still for hours on end without getting stiff," I hinted subtly. All of the Cullen's nodded and began to stretch themselves out, too. It would have been funny if I weren't so tired. They looked _ridiculous_.

As soon as we were out of the airport, I tried to get my bearings. The air was warm – far warmer than I had expected, but as promised – not sunny. I pulled off my cardigan and threw it over my shoulders.

"What time is it here, Edward?" I asked. I was so confused. I had expect it to be night time here, too.

"Half twelve in the afternoon, love. London is about six hours ahead of Chicago. Disoriented?" He chuckled.

"You have no idea," I murmured dryly. We trailed after the family, who were waiting at a nearby taxi rank. Alice managed to hail a couple of the iconic black taxis and we all clamoured inside.

"Where you headed, mate?" The driver asked. I had to stifle my giggle when I heard his accent. It wasn't anything like I had imagined... he sounded _cockney._

"The May Fair hotel, please," Edward murmured. He seemed completely at ease in our new surroundings.

"Right you are, mate." The driver drawled as he pulled out of the airport. I must have looked ridiculous as we drove. I had my face _pressed_ against the glass of the taxi as I watched the world go by. I had no idea that London was so _big. _Huge glass buildings and towers spanned for miles. Busy office workers paraded the streets in their fancy suits, completely unaware that I was travelling through the charming City that they seemed oblivious to.

The taxi began to cross an immense bridge, but stopped when an alarm sounded. I glanced at Edward in alarm and he smirked.

"This is Tower Bridge, baby. Look underneath us – do you see the river?" He asked. River? What river?

My eyes scanned outside the taxi and I gasped when I saw what he was pointing at. How could I have _missed_ that? I undid my seat belt and hopped out of the stationary taxi. I vaguely heard Edward offering the driver an explanation before following me – but I wasn't paying attention to him. I was looking at the vast river that was flowing underneath the brilliant blue bridge we were parked on.

The first thing I noticed was that it was so _busy. _Boats sailed up and down the vast expanse of water in every direction. River boats and speed boats, little yachts and barges. It was _incredible._

"See that huge paddle boat coming towards us love?" Edward asked. I nodded, wondering why it was relevant. "It wont fit under the bridge – it's too tall. That's why we're stuck here. Look at the bridge," he smiled. I turned my attention back to the bridge and grinned when I saw why the alarm had sounded. The middle of the bridge had _opened, _allowing the boat to sail right though the middle of it.

"You might want to get back in here, mate. The alarm will sound again in a second. We'll be on our way," the driver called from the taxi. Edward ushered me back inside just as the cars began to move again.

When we eventually pulled to a stop, Edward paid the driver and helped me out of the car. I was going to help Edward with the bags, but two men dressed in impeccably pressed uniforms came over and carried everything for us.

"Welcome to London, Mr. Cullen," they smiled. I glanced at Edward, desperately wanting to know how they knew his name, but stopped short when Edward spun me around. We were standing in front of one of the most beautiful buildings I had ever seen.

"...and welcome to the May Fair, miss. Enjoy your stay," they smiled in unison.

I took one look at my surroundings and let out an excited squeal. Welcome to London indeed.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Here's the next chapter. Two updates in a day is a stretch for me lol. Either way, I hope it reads okay and that you enjoy it! **

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"Come on love," Edward chuckled at me. "It's better on the inside," he grinned. I grabbed hold of his hand and allowed him to pull me inside. Just as the huge doors began to close behind us, a luxury sports car pulled up outside the hotel, followed by a mass of photographers.

"Edward? What on earth is going on out there?" I asked in confusion. His brow furrowed as he honed in on the minds outside. He didn't even turn around to look at them before he answered me, rolling his eyes in the process.

"There's a famous model staying at the hotel," He murmured. "The paparazzi are desperately trying to get a photo of her. She needs a good meal if you ask me," he grumbled.

"Edward!" I scolded him. "Don't be so mean!"

He merely shrugged and turned back to the receptionist who was assigning the families to their rooms.

"Just take the lift to the top floor, Mr. Cullen. I hope that you and your wife enjoy your stay," she smiled at him. I baulked at the word 'wife.' Since when were Edward and I married? Edward, however, seemed completely at ease and grinned back at her.

"So do I," he murmured as he took my hand once more.

"Your wife?" I repeated as we walked away. He glanced down at me and smirked at my uncomfortable expression.

"Would it really be so bad? To be my Mrs. Cullen?" He teased. I swallowed my first thought, which was that _yes_, it would be awful to be married so young. But then I remembered Charlie - who had barely even _lived_ before he had died. He had been so _young._ Wasn't that the whole point of this trip? Wasn't it my way of telling Edward that I was ready for him? Ready for our forever?

"No, Edward. It wouldn't be a bad thing," I murmured. His face was a perfect picture of shock as we walked into the lift. The very moment that the doors were closed and we were alone, he pushed me up against the wall of the elevator and gripped my face with his hands.

"Bella?" He whispered, "What did you just say?" His brow was furrowed and his eyes were scanning my features in absolute desperation.

"I said that it wouldn't be so bad to be your wife, Edward," I murmured in reply. His ochre eyes darkened until they were coal-black and his breath came out in tiny pants against my face.

"_Shit_… baby – you can't, you can't say things like that. You have _no_ idea what it does to me," he growled. He walked over to the panel and pushed the emergency stop button, bringing the lift to a gentle stop. I was going to apologise to him, but his lips were suddenly moving very insistently against my own. I groaned into his mouth, submitting to him completely and pulled him closer to me.

He grabbed both of my legs and lifted them from the floor, wanting them wrapped around his waist instead. I gasped as I felt his arousal pressed against me.

"Ssh, baby," he whispered into my ear. "I want this so badly... you have no idea. But the family will hear us sweetheart. You're going to have to be quiet. So, _so_ quiet. Can you do that for me?" He breathed. His voice sounded strained and tense and his hands wandered up my legs. I nodded my head, knowing that I couldn't trust myself to answer him verbally. His relieved sigh only lasted a second before I heard the sound of his zipper coming down.

"Please," I mouthed in desperation. He kept his eyes firmly fixed on mine as he slammed into me. My breath faltered when he set a furious pace, stretching me in the most incredible way.

"Oh Bella...If you were my wife? _Fuck... _I would take such good care of you," he groaned into my ear.

"Edward, you already d-do." The words were barely a whisper and I had to _force_ them out from between clenched teeth.

"Oh baby, you have no idea," he smirked as he drove into me even faster. "You would want for _nothing," _ he grunted. I bucked against him, desperately seeking the friction I needed.

"No one else will ever be able to take care of you the way I can, baby," He purred as his hands tightened around my legs. "…Because I'm the only one who knows what you want – and what you… _need._" He hissed. He pushed me tighter against the wall and changed the angle of his hips. Each new thrust hit a spot inside me that made my stomach tighten and my breath quicken instinctively.

"But to know that if I were to ask you to be my wife," he groaned. "...that you might actually say _yes.._."

His thrusts grew impossibly fast and I knew that he wasn't even trying to maintain a human speed any more. Even though he was remembering to be gentle, my man was _all_ vampire in that moment.

"_Edward._"

"Fuck yes, Bella. I need this, baby... give it to me."

My body willingly obeyed him and I bit down on his throat, trying to stifle my scream. My hands clawed at his back and raked through his hair, furiously. The vibrations from his answering growl did _nothing_ to stem the wave of pleasure that was running through me. Eventually, realisation came back to me and I noticed that Edward had his face turned away from my neck as he continued to plough into me. I unlocked my jaw and removed my teeth from his throat, hating myself for making this so much harder for him. What sort of idiot bites a _vampire? _

"Put your teeth back on my neck," he growled ferociously. "Baby... _fuck... please."_

I should have been worried by his pleading tone, but in that moment, I only wanted to give him what he wanted. Fear for my safety became second to his pleasure. I whipped my head towards him at lightning speed and raked my teeth across his neck before biting down on his throat. _Hard. _

"So good... So fucking good... Don't stop, baby... _please don't stop_."

I glanced at down and noticed that he was moving so quickly, that his hips were beginning to blur. My dull, human eyes couldn't keep up with his speed at all any more. But even in the middle of his climax, he was still so completely in control. All those months, he had spent worrying that he would hurt me. Silly vampire. That was impossible.

When his hips finally slowed and stopped, I pulled my teeth away from his neck and raised my head to meet his gaze. He seemed thoroughly dazed, as if he didn't know what the hell had just happened.

"Hi," I murmured. He chuckled and shook his head in disbelief as he lowered me to the floor, still cradling me.

"I love you, Miss Swan." He whispered. His sweet, honest declaration was so different to the way he had been speaking to me a moment ago, that I had difficulty answering him. Honestly, I had been expecting him to panic about how rough he had been. I was sure that he would have been scolding himself for bruising me or man-handling me in an elevator. Almost as if he could suddenly read my thoughts, he smirked and kissed the top of my nose.

"Don't think that I haven't noticed, Bella," he whispered, all traces of humour gone. "You've spent the last three days giving me everything I've ever wanted for us. You're letting me carry your things and hold doors open for you. You allowed me to pay for this trip – even though I know how much it must be killing you. You're letting me treat you the way you deserve. You've completely abandoned your stubborn, independent streak because you know how much I want to look after you... and I love you for that."

I blushed and lowered my gaze to the floor. I hadn't thought that I had been that obvious.

"You have been self-sufficient your whole life, Bella. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to relinquish control – to trust me to take care of you... especially after I left you all those months ago," he whispered. "I'm not an idiot. Your faith in me is a precious gift, Bella... and I have no intention of squandering it. If you can trust me again after everything that I put you through, then I will trust you when you tell me that I wont hurt you when we make love. I will trust you when you tell me that I'm not going to bite you. I will trust you when you say that you wont regret becoming a vampire. I'm trying to change, too."

I threw my arms around his neck and gripped him fiercely. I knew that for _both _ of us, beautiful declarations and heartfelt promises wouldn't be enough. We would have to _show_ each other that we were willing to change. We would have to _work_ at our relationship.

"We have eternity to work this out, Edward," I mumbled into his neck. "I'm not going anywhere."

His sharp intake of breath confirmed that he had heard me. "I'm really starting to believe that too, Bella," he whispered.

My cell chimed from Edwards pocket and he passed it to me without saying anything.

_From: Alice Cullen_

_Get out of the lift, love birds. I can only cover for you for so long. _

_Esme is threatening to go and look for you both! _

I showed it to Edward and he chuckled before walking over to the panel and tapping in the code to our suite. The lift groaned as it rose up and I wondered if Edward had damaged it with his desperate movements earlier on.

"Don't even say it Bella," He chuckled. "If it's broken, I'll pay for it – but I have no idea how I would explain _that_ when we check out."

A bubble of laughter escaped but died on my lips once the doors finally opened.

"This is the Amber suite, baby," Edward murmured into my neck when we finally stepped out of the elevator. "We have it all to ourselves – the family are staying in their own suites in the hotel, but be advised, they will be able to hear us if we talk loudly enough," he chuckled.

My mouth opened and closed as I desperately thought of something to say that would possibly do this place justice. I was standing in a large sitting room which was swathed in chocolate brown, milky cream and gold furnishings. My eyes flitted from the giant corner sofa, to the plasma TV, then onto the bar and the expensive art work.

"Edward," I breathed, "this place is _incredible_. Thank you for bringing me here."

His answering smile was so boyish and genuinely happy that it actually made my heart hurt. This all meant so much to him...

"You are so very welcome, sweetheart," he whispered. He craned his neck to the wall and rolled his eyes at it.

"Alice," he muttered with distaste. "She's getting impatient. Apparently we were in the lift for over an hour." His childish grin would have melted even the coldest heart. He was blatantly proud of our little excursion in the elevator.

"Everyone is showered and changed – we're going out to see some of the sights," he grinned.

I let out an excited squeal and ran off, searching for the shower. There was no way that I was ready for Emmett's teasing... but one sniff and he would know _exactly_ what Edward and I had been up to.

It took me less than fifteen minutes to shower and change into a new sun dress, but even though I had been super speedy, Edward was still waiting for me by the door, dressed and ready to go.

"You're stunning, Bella. You know that right?" He murmured as I approached.

"You're biased," I said as I rolled my eyes – but then I remembered my promise to try harder... to make our relationship work. "But thank you," I finished with a small smile.

The rest of the family were waiting down in the lobby by the time we got there. Alice had finally picked up on my excitement and was bouncing around the vast room excitedly.

"You're here! Come on, lets go!" She ushered as we stepped out into the heat of the day.

"Where are we going? Are we just going to have a look around or do you have something in mind already?" I asked everyone in general.

"Ooh this is going to be awesome!" Emmett grinned.

"We thought that you should brush up on your British history, Bella. We're going to a place called the London Dungeon," Jasper grinned.

"What's that?" I asked as we crossed the street. "Is it like a museum?"

"Hell no, baby sis!" Emmett grinned evilly.

"Emmett, don't tell her – you'll spoil the surprise!" Esme scolded him. His sad expression only lasted for a moment before he recovered his good spirits.

"Er, Edward? Why do they all look like they're planning something?" I hedged. "Should I be scared?"

Jasper and Emmett howled with laughter as they ran around the corner. Edward merely smirked and slung his arm over my shoulder.

"We need to go on the subway to get there, baby. It's just a couple of stops – but we want you to experience it." He grinned as he changed the subject. He led me across the street and we walked into Green Park station. We bought our tickets and began climbing down one of the immense staircases. Almost in unison, the Cullen's slapped their hands over their faces and grimaced.

"What is it?" I asked, terrified. "What's wrong?"

"Can't you _smell_ that, baby sis?" Emmett grumbled. "It smells like feet down here."

I giggled at him and sped up, delving deeper and deeper into the station. To be honest, it _did_ smell like feet down here, but what did he expect? We weren't outside – the air supply was limited.

"This way Bells," Jasper yelled from behind me. I spun around on the spot and followed him onto one of the tiny platforms. The display read that the next train was due in two minutes, so I used the time to soak up the atmosphere. Everywhere I turned, there were musicians playing music as loudly as they could. Some had gathered an audience and were actually putting on a _show. _

The train ride was bumpy and loud – but I soaked up every second of it, knowing that the next time I rode on a tube train in London, I would probably be a vampire and wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything other than the smell of _feet. _

I didn't even attempt the stairs on the way back up. I walked over to Edward, wanting to climb up onto his back, but he had his hands full with all of our tickets.

"C'mere, Bells," Jasper smiled. I hopped onto his back and he raced up the stairs as fast as was humanly plausible. When we reached the top, the hundreds of other commuters actually gave him a round of applause for his efforts.

"I love London!" I screeched when we got outside. "There's just so _much..."_ I trailed off.

"She's a cheap date, Edward. One ride on a train and she's happy," Rosalie snickered as we walked to this 'dungeon' place.

We stopped outside a completely eerie looking building. Two flaming torches hung either side of a vast sign which read 'enter at your own peril.' I was about to ask Edward what we were doing here when I heard at least twenty people scream simultaneously from inside the building. A man and a woman emerged, dressed in bloodied, period clothing – both grinning at us, evilly.

"Coming in, my lovelies?" The lady cackled. I recoiled, slightly and leant a bit closer to Alice, who was taking my photo every few seconds.

"Do you dare to go in, Bella?" Emmett asked in a sinister voice.

I knew that he was looking for a reaction from me, so I squared my shoulders and ignored the awful pang of fear that was ringing through me.

"Of course," I murmured. My voice sounded strong, but everyone laughed when I moved over to Edward and held onto his arm.

"Awesome! Let's do this!" Emmett hollered.

_What have I gotten myself into?_


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Hi everyone! It's been a few days, so I've included a re-cap so that everyone knows where we are. In this chapter, the Cullen's take Bella to the London dungeon - This is a real place in London and definitely on the list of attractions that I would recommend to tourists. (Not young children, though.)**

**SPOILER ALERT: Some of you have mentioned that you planning on coming over to London in the future. If any of you are thinking of going here yourselves in the future, be warned, this chapter contains spoilers. Some of it is real, some of it isn't, but I thought you deserved the warning all the same. I will be talking about what happens in the dungeon in detail, and I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone. This chapter isn't vital to the story, so feel free to skip it if you don't want to know what happens in the dungeon.**

**WARNING: This chapter contains references to death, dismemberment, torture and other gruesome things. Read with caution, or skip it completely if it's not your thing. I've set this chapter up so that people can skip it, without missing anything from the actual plot.**

**Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather and this chapter does my home city justice! **

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_Recap:_

_We stopped outside a completely eerie looking building. Two flaming torches hung either side of a vast sign which read 'enter at your own peril.' I was about to ask Edward what we were doing here when I heard at least twenty people scream simultaneously from inside the building. _

_A man and a woman emerged, dressed in bloodied, period clothing – both grinning at us, evilly._

_"Coming in, my lovelies?" The lady cackled. I recoiled, slightly and leant a bit closer to Alice, who was taking my photo every few seconds._

_"Do you dare to go in, Bella?" Emmett asked in a sinister voice._

_I knew that he was looking for a reaction from me, so I squared my shoulders and ignored the awful pang of fear that was ringing through me._

_"Of course," I murmured. My voice sounded strong, but everyone laughed when I moved over to Edward and held onto his arm._

_"Awesome! Let's do this!" Emmett hollered._

_What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

I grasped onto Edward's hand as he steered me towards the entrance of the eerie building. Truth be told, despite my calm demeanour, I _was_ scared – though I think that had more to do with Jasper, who was sending waves of pure terror at me. Edward caught on quickly and growled at him, but Jasper merely laughed and ran off inside after everyone else.

"So what is this place?" I asked, turning to face Edward.

"It's a tourist attraction, sweetheart," he murmured. "A tour guide will take us through a thousand years of London's history. As I understand it, it can be quite gruesome," he snickered.

"So it's like a museum?" I asked, dumbfounded. I couldn't imagine Emmett being so enthusiastic about going to a _museum._ Edward caught the look of disbelief on my face and laughed even harder.

"Sort of... Just wait and see," he whispered. He led me through the black double doors and we were immediately thrown into darkness. The scorching heat was left behind and the doors closed behind us with a muted thump. A shiver ran down my spine as we walked along a dark, candle-lit corridor. I couldn't see further than two feet in front of my face and I found myself holding onto Edward's hand just a little tighter. We turned a corner, following the voices ahead of us, and the first thing I noticed was the _smell. _My hand flew to my face as I tried to shield my nose from the putrid odour.

"Edward? What _is_ that?" I whispered. If it smelled bad to _me,_ it must smell truly awful to Edward. He merely shook his head and smirked at me. We came to a stop next to the family and at least another twenty humans, who were all waiting in the darkness, too. For what, I didn't know. I didn't even know what this place _was._

Brilliant candle-light suddenly filled the dark, dank room, causing me to gasp in fright.

"Welcome," a deep voice growled, "to the corridor of Misdemeanours," he boomed. There was a slight pause as the aged man addressed everyone in the room. His clothes were rags, his hair was matted to his head with dirt and blood. I felt dirty just _looking _at him.

"It is here that you shall face the consequences of your disloyalty to the king. Follow my guards – and I suggest that you do as they say... or your punishment may come sooner than you would like." He seethed. Even though I knew that Edward would never put me in actual danger, I couldn't help the shiver of dread that swept through me.

A large, old door rattled open at the other end of the room, and we all filed out obediently after the guards, who were dressed in medieval clothing. The smell became worse as we stepped into the next room and I swallowed a mouthful of bile at what I saw in front of me. Filthy, emaciated humans lay festering behind cages as we marched through the decaying corridor. They shook and rattled the doors of their confines as we passed.

"Please," a gaunt prisoner begged, in a wheezy voice. "Help me."

Even though I knew that this wasn't real, I felt compassion for this man. His enclosure was so small – so _dirty. _It was a tiny cell, with nothing inside other than a few sparse pieces of hay covering the floor. His hands and feet were confined in ancient shackles, and the skin surrounding them was rubbed red raw. I shivered when I realised that the smell, which was permeating through the entire room, was human honestly looked as though he were dying in there. I offered him a sad smile and allowed Edward to pull me further along the corridor.

"Oh this one _is_ pretty. I hope you get put in with me. You and I would have a _great_ time together." I let out a small whimper when the next convict spoke to me. He stood up faster than he should have been able to move, and ran towards the front of his cell, screaming as he did so. He looked f_eral_ – completely insane. I jumped backwards and landed in Edward's outstretched arms. It was almost like he knew that I was going to need him at that exact moment.

"I've got you, sweet girl," he crooned as he pulled me along the corridor. "You're safe with me."

His sweet whispers calmed my racing heart and I allowed myself to melt further into his safe embrace. He was right – of _course_ he was. Edward wouldn't let anything happen to me. We caught up with everyone else and I noticed Jasper shaking his head at me, with a confused look on his face. I raised a questioning eyebrow at him and his confusion grew even further.

"I just don't understand your emotions, Bella. You should be instinctively afraid of our kind, yet you run _towards_ Edward for comfort. It's completely illogical," Jasper murmured as he observed me. "I find your reactions to be... _confounding." _He finished with a small shrug. I didn't get a chance to answer him before our little group was ushered through another door. I lost my grip on Edward's hand in the crowd and instantly felt my fear return to me. I spun around, frantically trying to find him – but he was gone.

"Move it along," one of the guards growled at me. He took my arm and rather forcefully pushed me into an even smaller room with about ten other people. An iron grille slid over the only exit and I began to panic. I scanned the room, hoping that _any_ of the Cullen's were in here with me, but there was no one. Everyone around me was a stranger. Other people began trying to explain to the guards that they had been separated from their loved ones, but the guards just grinned, evilly. It was then that I realised that this had been done on purpose. Edward hadn't let go of my hand – I had been yanked _away_ from him. They wanted us to be alone. I caught site of Edward's frantic face of the other side of the grille and he was _scowling_ at the guards. Apparently he wasn't at all amused at the games that they were playing. Neither was I, to be completely honest.

"I am the lift leper," a male voice boomed from somewhere in the darkness. "... and this is your descent into the dungeons. Prepare to face judgement for your crimes."

I let out a small scream when the room we were standing in began to move..._. Fall_ was perhaps a more accurate description. The medieval walls groaned and shuddered as we shook our way lower into the building. The foul smell worsened the further down we fell and I held onto my stomach, desperately trying not to vomit all over the floor. I glanced around the ancient lift and saw that while most people were terrified like me, others were _laughing. _I wondered, momentarily, if they could be considered clinically insane, before I remembered that none of this _real. _

The thought brought me up short and my hands, which had been clutching my stomach, fell limply to my sides. What on earth was I _doing?_ I had faced blood-thirsty vampires with more dignity than this. I stood up a little straighter, ashamed of my childish behaviour. This was a tourist attraction, not a bloody death march. By the time the lift hit the ground with a lurch, I was actually smiling. One of the guards seemed to take that as a challenge and leered at me. I threw him a wink and he shook his head, knowing that I had dispelled the illusion of terror that they were providing. He moved onto other patrons and I decided to hang in the back, unobtrusively. I didn't want to ruin the atmosphere for anyone else by grinning like an idiot all the way around the tour.

Once we were out of the shaft, I bumped into Emmett, who had stepped out of another lift.

"Belly-boo!" He yelled, making several people jump out of their skins in the process. "We should wait for Edward. He's spitting nails up there! He did _not_ want to be separated from you. I had to sneak into another lift to find you. It was the only way to calm him down." He laughed.

"Well, we _could_ wait for him," I smiled, "..._or_... we could go on ahead and let him stew for a bit," I hedged. Emmett's face split into a massive grin and he slung his arm over my shoulder.

"Awesome idea. The best bit about this, is that he heard every word you just said, so he'll be angry at you – not me." Emmett chuckled. I rolled my eyes at my silly, over-protective mate. Honestly, what sort of trouble does he think I am going to get into with Emmett next to me? We were herded further along the corridor and my brows furrowed when I heard the sound of running water.

"Are we going swimming, Emmett?" I giggled. He pulled me closer into his side and I nestled my head on his chest, as more candles lit the room.

"Welcome to the Thames River Docks," a nasally, common voice sneered. The emaciated woman then launched into an explanation as to why we were here.

"King Henry VIII has evidence that you are all in league with Anne Boleyn and her conspiracy against him and his court. You shall now board the boats which will take you to the Tower of London, where you shall be tried for your crimes," she called, loudly.

The lighting grew even brighter, and I was finally able to see my surroundings for the first time. We weren't in a room at all. We were in an underground _dock_. Ancient stone walls covered in slime were surrounded by dank, filthy water. Old, decrepit boats croaked along the winding indoor stream, coming to an uncoordinated stop next to the bank we were standing on.

"In you get," the lady sneered. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her and took Emmett's outstretched hand as he helped me into the boat. Apparently, the British didn't believe in normal museums. You didn't _read_ about their history – you _experienced_ it.

The candles dimmed once more, plunging the room into almost complete darkness as the boats began to move. The ride was bumpy –turbulent, even. I listened intently as the tour guide re-enacted the final journey of Anne Boleyn. We trundled along the dank river towards The Tower of London, where the Kings wife met her demise. Execution by beheading.

For the next hour, I was enraptured as we were led around the dungeon. We walked along a rat infested tunnel and learned about Guy Fawkes, who had apparently tried to blow up parliament. I had screamed all the way through that experience. Every time I felt something brush up against my feet, I panicked, knowing that there were rats _everywhere. _In the end, Emmett had to take out his phone and use it as a torch to show me the feet-tickling machine that was covering the floor. Bloody pirates. They nearly gave me a heart attack!

We were taken into a torture chamber, where a sadistic Torturer delighted in demonstrating his well-worn devices on unlucky volunteers. I hid well at the back during _that _one. We saw victims of the plague, watched an autopsy (Emmett assured me that it wasn't real…. But I wasn't completely convinced. The screams had certainly been realistic.)

We went to Fleet street and met Mrs. Lovett as she cooked up her 'finger licking' goods. I made a hasty exit on that one and groaned when I realised that my swift escape had landed me in Sweeny Todd's barber shop.

I was currently running through a mirror-maze of streets with Emmett at my side. Apparently, we were trying to escape from Jack the Ripper. He had been a serial killer in London around the year, 1888. He was notorious for slicing the throats of prostitutes, before removing internal organs – butchering them completely.

"Emmett!" I yelled in frustration. He was currently swinging around one of the old gas lamps as he sang 'singing in the rain' at the top of his lungs. Something told me that he wasn't taking this tour very seriously.

"What a glorious feeeeeeeeling, I'm haaaaaaaappy again," he yelled.

"Emmett McCarty Cullen, you stop that this instant," I said in my most motherly voice. His shoulders slumped as he stepped off the shop window ledge that he had been tap dancing on. His expression was sheepish as he sidled over to me.

"Sorry Bella," he murmured. I shot his a disapproving look before taking his hand in my own and tugging him down the street. We ended up inside an old tavern, where a poorly dressed lady emerged from behind the bar and ran towards us; terror written on her every feature.

"He is coming," she whispered. "HE IS COMING!"

She ran over to the doors, desperately trying to bolt them shut and she screamed in terror. "He will kill us. You must run – run as fast as you can and don't look back!" She wailed. Emmett and I were the first to try and leave, but before we could move, the lights went out and silence fell in the bar. I grabbed onto Emmett as we waited for something to happen – _anything_ to happen.

Minutes passed and people were beginning to panic – for _real_ this time. There was no sign of the actress who had been wailing a moment ago. There was no sign of _any_ of the staff. The who performance had been fluid up until this moment – there hadn't been a pause like this one. I began to really panic, as did the other patrons.

"Emmett? Is something wrong? Why isn't anything happening?" I asked him desperately. I couldn't _see_ him – the room was quite literally pitch black, but I could hear his laboured breathing and I felt him angle himself in front of me. I knew then, that something _was_ wrong. Emmett was getting ready to _protect_ me.

But- protect me from _what?_

"Bella, I'm going to let go of your hand, okay?" He murmured. I whimpered at the loss, but he shushed me, gently.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby sister. I just want to be able to get you out of here if I need to, okay?" He soothed. I nodded, knowing that though I couldn't see him in the darkness, his vision was far superior to mine. He would be able to see me perfectly.

"Good," he muttered. "Now hop up onto my back. We're getting the fuck out of here."

I did as I was told and climbed up onto his vast back. His arms locked around my legs and he was off like a shot, racing me at a fast human speed towards the exit.

Everyone else was whispering frenzied hysterics to each other and I pitied them. It would always be this way for me. I would always have the Cullen's to keep me safe. These humans weren't so lucky.

Loud, laboured breathing pounded through a sounds system, and Emmett stopped by the exit. Heavy footsteps came next and I gripped onto my brothers shirt a little tighter. People began to scream in absolute terror and I scanned the room, desperate to see what was there – to see what was causing them to panic.

A brilliant light turned on, causing everyone to flinch away from it's brightness. As my eyes adjusted, I looked away from the light and let out a gut-wrenching scream of my own, for there – against the wall, was the shadow of a ghostly man, with a knife in his hand. He launched at us so quickly, that Emmett let out a screech of his own and ran. He launched himself through the emergency exit and landed on the floor outside with a thump.

My breathing was laboured and I flinched once more when another flash of light blinded me. I tightened my grip on Emmett's neck and hunched down in fear, waiting for my demise. A moment later, yells and cheers met my ears and I looked up in confusion. My eyes widened when I saw where we were.

The gift shop.

We were in the fucking _gift shop_ and standing around us in a circle, stood the staff, who were giving us a standing ovation and applauding our 'supreme exit strategy manoeuvres'. I groaned and placed my head in my hands in embarrassment as I realised that this had all been _planned. _The fear in the pub – the panic as we waited for Jack the Ripper... it was all _planned. _It was the build up to the big finale of the tour – and I had fallen for it. Hook, line and sinker.

Other patrons were now jumping out of the room, much in the same fashion that we had moments before. I grimaced even further when I realised that the flash of light was actually an automatic camera which took pictures of everyone as they came through the door, capturing the expressions on their faces as they 'ran for their lives.' I glanced at Emmett who had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"You absolute shit head!" I accused as he laughed. "You _knew_ what was happening, didn't you?"

He nodded his head, unashamed and I punched his stone arm, pointlessly, as I scrambled to my feet. Thankfully, the staff had moved onto another couple, who had just commando rolled out of the room in unison.

Well, at least I didn't do _that. _

"Come on, Bella," Emmett grinned as he raced to catch up with my furious pacing. "I was only teasing."

I rounded on him and placed my hands firmly on my hips. "Oh I'm not angry," I smiled. "I'm planning my revenge. Bear in mind that I have all of eternity to do so," I hissed. His face fell and he looked panicked as I plotted. I didn't know _what_ I was going to do, or _when. _It may be tomorrow, it may be in a thousand years, but mark my words. Emmett Cullen was going _down. _

* * *

**AN: Well, there you have it. Some of what I have written is actually true. They do like to scare the pants off you in the dungeons, but some of the detail was just there because I can't actually remember everything that happens there. It's been a few years since I've visited. Oops! Any way, hope you liked it - will update soon! **


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Evening everyone! I'll be uploading TWO chapters tonight. It's really one long chapter that I've split into two parts. Here's the first instalment. Hope you like it!** **Next chapter will be up in about ten minutes :-) **

* * *

_Recap:_

_My breathing was laboured and I flinched once more when another flash of light blinded me. I tightened my grip on Emmett's neck and hunched down in fear, waiting for my demise. A moment later, yells and cheers met my ears and I looked up in confusion. My eyes widened when I saw where we were._

_The gift shop._

_We were in the fucking gift shop and standing around us in a circle, stood the staff, who were giving us a standing ovation and applauding our 'supreme exit strategy manoeuvres'. I groaned and placed my head in my hands in embarrassment as I realised that this had all been planned. The fear in the pub – the panic as we waited for Jack the Ripper... it was all planned. It was the build up to the big finale of the tour – and I had fallen for it. Hook, line and sinker. _

_Other patrons were now jumping out of the room, much in the same fashion that we had moments before. I grimaced even further when I realised that the flash of light was actually an automatic camera which took pictures of everyone as they came through the door, capturing the expressions on their faces as they 'ran for their lives.' I glanced at Emmett who had a shit-eating grin on his face. _

"_You absolute shithead!" I accused as he laughed. "You knew what was happening, didn't you?" _

_He nodded his head, unashamed and I punched his stone arm, pointlessly, as I scrambled to my feet. Thankfully, the staff had moved onto another couple, who had commando rolled out of the room in unison. _

_Well, at least I didn't do that. _

"_Come on, Bella," Emmett grinned as he raced to catch up with my furious pacing. "I was only teasing." _

_I rounded on him and placed my hands firmly on my hips. "Oh I'm not angry," I smiled. "I'm planning my revenge. Bear in mind that I have all of eternity to do so," I hissed. His face fell and he looked panicked as I plotted. I didn't know what I was going to do, or when. It may be tomorrow, it may be in a thousand years, but mark my words. Emmett Cullen was going down. _

* * *

Emmett followed me around the gift shop dutifully as I loaded a basket full of silly mementos. After realising that I fully intended to follow through on my threat for revenge, he had been apologising every seven seconds and promising me that 'it was all Jasper's idea.'

"...Bella! You can't stay mad at me forever," he whined. "I'm your brother – it's my _job_ to wind you up!"

I dropped another fridge magnet into the basket and turned around to face him. His indignant little face could have melted even the coldest of hearts, but after dating Edward for so long, I was all but immune to the male Cullen charm.

"Emmett, there are only two people in your family who can successfully pout at me to get their way. One of them is Edward and the other is a tiny little pixie named Alice. Are you a tiny little pixie named Alice?" I asked in a condescending voice. Emmett stiffened as Edward walked out of the exit in a completely calm demeanour – obviously the Jack the ripper exhibit hadn't frightened _him_ in the slightest.

"I'll be anything you want me to be, so long as you don't tell Edward that I scared you," Emmett whispered into my ear, frantically. I flinched at the loud 'thwack' that sounded throughout the room as Edward smacked Emmett round the back of the head.

"Scare her like that again and I'll rip off your arms and beat you with them," Edward growled at his brother. Another 'thwack' resonated through the room and I turned to see Elizabeth standing behind Edward with her tiny hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Edward Anthony Masen, you are in the presence of a lady. Watch your language," she scolded in absolute seriousness. I shoved my fist into my mouth as I turned away, trying not to laugh as Edward spoke a quiet, "Yes, Ma'am," to his mother.

Edward was obviously very embarrassed, so I walked over to Alice, who was buying a copy of the photograph that had been taken automatically of me and Emmett as we raced through the emergency exit. I took one glance at it over her shoulder and burst out laughing. Emmett looked like double-oh dumbass as he barrelled through the door, while my hands were desperately groping his man boobs as I clung onto him for dear life.

"That's one for the family album," Rosalie chuckled from behind me. Honestly, I was still a little surprised by her actually being, well... _pleasant._ But for her to refer to me as 'family'… it was all I could do not to keel over from shock.

"Let me see!" Emmett yelled as he ran over to us. Alice passed him the picture and I walked back over to Edward, who was now being chastised by _both_ of his parents.

"She is a _lady_, Edward. You should treat her as such," Mr. Masen scolded him. My poor Edward had his head lowered and his face showed his mortification. I felt a massive surge of pity for him, but there was nothing that I could do. One day soon, the Masen's would realise just how much times had changed. While they stayed holed up in their home for the last century, the world moved on… and so did my Edward. As soon as they saw me, they abruptly stopped their tirade and smiled at me. Edward still had his eyes on the ground and it was more than I could bear to see.

"I had an incredible time here, Edward. Thank you," I grinned as I placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. I would have done a lot more to show my appreciation if we were alone, but the idea of Elizabeth watching me make out with her son gave me enough sense to hold back.

"You're very welcome, sweetheart," Edward whispered in reply. He seemed genuinely pleased that I had enjoyed myself, but he still hadn't fully recovered from his earlier scolding from his parents. Elizabeth, however, had clearly long forgotten it as she was watching her son with undisguised pride.

"Shall we be off, then?" Mr. Masen asked as he offered his wife his arm.

I took hold of Edwards hand and ignored the concerned look from his parents. While it might not have been common for unmarried couples to be so publicly affectionate in _their_ era, it was perfectly common in mine. I only hoped that they weren't too shocked by what they saw over the next few weeks. It was going to be a _serious_ learning curve for them.

"Where are the rest of the family?" I asked Edward as we left the dungeon. The sun had long since set, and the whole City was lit in brilliant twinkling lights.

"They've returned to the hotel," Edward mumbled uncomfortably. "I was hoping to spend some time with my parents this evening…. and I wanted you to be there."

"Edward? Are you okay?" I asked in concern. It was unusual for Edward to be anything other than cool, calm and collected. He seemed to be incredibly nervous as he ran his hands through his hair. We stopped walking and I noticed Elizabeth leading her husband away from us. Edward waited until they were out of our sight and hearing range before answering me.

"I'm fine love... it's just that... tonight is a big deal for me," he whispered. "Since I first came back to you in Chicago, everything has been a complete whirlwind and the last few days are only just beginning to sink in. My mother and Father are really _here_, Bella," he whispered in awe.

"They are, Edward," I smiled. "...and they've missed you."

Edward offered a small smile in return, but it didn't meet his eyes. I had a feeling that we were only at the tip of the iceberg with this conversation. Edward was renowned for bottling his feelings up so tightly, that eventually he just snapped. He raked his hand through his hair and his eyes became slits as he stared through me.

"Bella, they're my _parents. _I haven't seen them in nearly a hundred years and I don't know how to act! I know how they _want_ me to act, but I've changed! What if I disappoint them? What if they're angry at me for not being _that_ boy any more? Because I'm _not_, Bella. I'm not Edward Masen any more. He was a seventeen year old human – a _child_."

I noticed that he was beginning to draw attention to himself, so I pulled him a little further down the street – away from the crowds. As soon as we were out of sight again, he pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned before lifting his head to meet my gaze. His eyes were desperate and pleading.

"Bella, I'm Edward Cullen now - a hundred and ten year old _vampire_. Although I pretend to be human, it's a façade. The last time they saw me, I was so unbelievably _innocent. _But after a hundred years of hearing the selfish minds of others, and over a decade of _murdering_ people and there's nothing left of Edward Masen. I'm a piss-poor replica of their son and _you," _he smiled sadly, "you are my only redemption, Bella."

He crouched down on his knees as gazed at the floor.

"I'm scared."

His quiet confession was barely audible to my weak, human ears, and a tiny whimper left my mouth without my permission as I pulled him into my arms. In all the time that I had known him – in every single struggle we had faced together, not once had he ever admitted to being scared. He buried his face in my neck as I ran my fingers through his hair as tenderly as I could. I ignored my shaking hands and pulled him tighter to me.

"Do you want to know what the best thing about being a vampire is, Edward?" I whispered.

"There's nothing good about being a vampire, Bella," Edward groaned. "Everything about it is awful."

He scuffed his shoe against the floor, kicking an imaginary stone, childishly, as he rebuffed my attempt to soothe him. "I'm serious, Edward," I pushed, insistently. He let out a huge sigh against my throat and shrugged.

"I don't know, Bella," he drawled lazily. "What's the best thing about being a vampire?"

I ignored his sarcastic reply and tightened my grip on him even further.

"The best thing about being a vampire is that everything about you is immortally frozen - perfectly preserved throughout time. I'm not talking about your devilish good looks either." I grinned. He let out a small, quiet chuckle and I pressed a kiss to his neck.

"Edward, you once told me that the deepest parts of your human personality are brought into your new life as a vampire. The way you dress and speak; Your likes and dislikes; Your habits and preferences; Your good manners and proper upbringing – they are all frozen into your being, permanently and irrevocably. Am I right?" I confirmed. He gave a short bob of the head but didn't answer me verbally.

"Edward, your Mother vehemently _refused_ to die until she knew that you would be taken care of. She gave up any chance she had of surviving the moment she decided to nurse you back to health instead. Her dying wish was not for herself, but for Carlisle to save you."

I pulled his head out of my hair and forced him to look at me. His ancient eyes were so vulnerable, I wondered if he had ever exposed himself like this to anyone else before.

"Baby, the most important thing in your Mother's world was you. You were her final thought and your health was her dying wish. _You_ were the deepest part of her human personality, Edward... and now you always will be. Her love for you is frozen in time, permanently and irrevocably. _That_ is the best thing about being a vampire," I whispered.

Edward took a deep, shuddering breath and groaned. His hands fumbled their way into my hair as he crushed me to his body.

"I love you, Bella," he breathed. "I love you so much. There aren't words –" He trailed off in a whisper and I felt his lips moving against my neck. I didn't know what he was saying, but it was too quiet for me to hear him. I held him for a few minutes, just soothing away any final worries or fears he had. I knew that I would never be able to relieve him of all of his angst. Irrational worry was simply part of who he was – and it would never change... just like him.

"Come on," I urged as I pulled away from his embrace with a grin. "Your _parents_ are waiting, Edward," I said with emphasis. His eyes bulged and I giggled at his dumbfounded expression.

"My parents..." he mumbled as he shook his head. "That really is going to take some getting used to."

I took his outstretched hand and allowed him to gently tug me over to his side. He wrapped his arm around my waist and steered me down another side street, away from the dungeon.

"Where are we going anyway?" I mused.

"Well, I wanted you to get to know my parents a little better, but I also wanted you to see the city at night, so I've made dinner reservations on one of the cruise boats. The river winds right through the city and I'm told the view is spectacular at night," he smiled. My excited squeal was much louder than I intended, but I didn't care.

"Oh Edward, thank you!" I beamed. "This is perfect!"

His smile was dazzling and it never ceased to amaze me how much he genuinely loved taking care of me. Well, if this was all he wanted in our forever, I could do that for him. I could swallow my pride and let him love me the way he wants to.

"You are _so_ welcome, Miss. Swan," he grinned. We crossed one final street and my eyes filled with tears when I saw the view in front of me. The river, as promised, was lit up in every direction by twinkling lights throughout the city. There were people everywhere – all of them soaking up the romantic atmosphere. I didn't get a chance to linger, as Edward steered us onto a small jetty where we were met by a man in a full suit, who took several tickets from Edward's outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Sir. Your parents are already aboard. Please enjoy your evening," he smiled, as he motioned for us to pass. I let out another small, excited squeak and Edward chuckled. I could feel his eyes on me as we walked along the wobbly dock that led to the boat, but I ignored him. I knew why he was watching me so intently. Nothing about this evening would be new for Edward. He had probably been on a hundred boats in some of the most exotic places in the world. But tonight, he was experiencing this through _my_ eyes and from the looks of it, thoroughly enjoying every minute.

The walls of the boat were made entirely out of glass and I was able to see Edward's parents who were already seated inside. We were shown to our table by another man in a full suit and I suddenly felt very under-dressed. I glanced at Edward out of the corner of my eye and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that he was dressed casually too.

"Is everything okay, children?" Mr. Masen asked as we sat down. His question seemed innocent enough, but I could tell from the way that he was watching his son that he was worried about Edward.

"We're fine, father. I just needed a minute," he admitted honestly as we took our seats. "This week has been a little... overwhelming," he finished lamely. He grasped my hand on top of the table and I knew that he wasn't just being affectionate – he needed the physical support. It didn't escape Elizabeth's notice either as she leant forward, looking distraught.

"Is there anything that we can do to make this easier?" She asked sadly. "We don't want to overwhelm you, son."

Edward smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes and I knew that he was regretting his decision to spend time alone with them so soon. Sympathy tore through me as I imagined just how difficult this must have been for him. He was absolutely terrified that they were going to judge him once they learned about his rebellious period. After all, Elizabeth had spent ten minutes scolding him earlier, just for threatening Emmett in front of me.

"I'm fine, mother. I promise," he lied. His parents seemed to buy his falsehood, but I knew him better. A storm was brewing internally and with Edward, that was never a good thing. The boat chugged to life, but I didn't manage even a small smile as we began to sail down the river.

"So, Edward," Mr. Masen began. "Tell us what you have been doing these past few decades. We've missed so much," he whispered sadly.

"You missed very little, Father. Given my age, I can pass for a college student, but trying to find employment would be impossible. My siblings and I spend the vast majority of our time posing as high school students. It can be extremely tedious," he murmured. "Though the last school I attended certainly had it's perks," he smiled as his eyes met mine.

"Of course," Elizabeth beamed. "That's how you met your Bella."

Edward's eyes widened in confusion and I realised that he didn't know that I had already told his parents about our meeting.

"How did you –" he trailed off.

"Bella told us, of course," Elizabeth smiled. "We had quite the lengthy conversation about you, Edward. Though I fear she may have been withholding information at the time," she chastised me gently.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth," I whispered. "I thought that Edward didn't... I didn't know if he-"

My sentence trailed off and I closed my mouth, not wanting to get Edward into trouble. I didn't think that Elizabeth would be very understanding if she knew how thoroughly Edward had hurt me last year. It was better to just say nothing at all.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, ignoring the confused glanced that his parents were throwing us. "If I live to be a thousand, I'll never forgive myself for what I said to you that day in the woods."

"What did you say to her, Edward? What are you talking about?" Mr. Masen asked. Edward shuddered and reluctantly returned his gaze to his father.

"I pursued Bella less than two months after I first laid eyes on her, and thankfully she agreed to let me 'court' her, but there was an _incident,"_ he murmured. His eyes glazed over and I knew that he was reliving my eighteenth birthday party all over again. I squeezed his hand, wanting him to come back to me. He shook his head and glanced at his father again.

"Jasper attacked Bella," Edward whispered. "She cut her finger... such a small, innocuous thing, but Jasper saw red – literally. We stopped him before he could hurt her, but the whole fiasco terrified me. I wanted to protect her, but the only way I could do that was to _leave_ her," he gasped. His hand tightened around mine almost painfully and I winced slightly. Edward noticed my sudden discomfort and raised my hand to his lips, pressing a small kiss to each of my fingers before burying both of our hands in his lap.

"You ran from her?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief. She frowned when Edward nodded, reluctantly. "How long were you apart?"

"A little less than a year," I murmured. "The day he was reunited with _you_ was the same day that he was reunited with me, too."

"I don't understand," Mr. Masen admitted. "Bella, if you knew how to contact Edward through Alice, why did you not do so before hand? Why wait until we asked you to?"

"Because I told her that I didn't love her any more," Edward muttered in disgust. "I took her into the forest by her fathers home just two days after her birthday and broke her heart in every conceivable way."

"Edward!" Elizabeth stammered.

"It was the only way she would let me go, and if she let me go, she would be _safe," _he replied. "I'm not proud of it, but it's done now."

A waiter approached the table and offered each of us a menu. I may have been the only person at the table who was able to eat, but I was definitely glad of the distraction. I gave the man a mental fist bump out of respect for his superb timing.

The meal passed amicably as Edward got to know his parents again. All of his fears had been for nothing, it seemed. Elizabeth was so happy to be near her son, that she was practically vibrating in her seat. Once she learned that Edward was technically a fully qualified doctor – _twice_, she let out an enormous squeak and clapped her hands enthusiastically. I wondered briefly, if she was mentally channelling Alice.

"Can I get you anything to drink, sir?" A perky voice bubbled from beside me. I glanced at the busty blonde waitress and growled when I saw the way she was leering over Edward. Her false, generous bust was now so low over the table that she was in danger of setting her shirt alight on the candle that flickered next to our glasses. I briefly wondered if silicone was flammable. I hoped so.

Edward dismissed her with a wave of his hand and I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her as she walked away, sulking.

"_MINE,"_ I hissed, quietly. The possessive sneer shocked me to my core. I had always been jealous of the attention that Edward received from other women, but I had never been so domineering. My brow furrowed as I tried to work out why I was feeling so needy_._.. and _angry_.

"Are you okay, love?" Edward murmured from beside me. "I heard you... _growl_." His expression was confused – almost concerned as he watched me.

"I will be, if business-suit Barbie buttons up her shirt and stops trying to climb onto your lap," I sneered uncharitably. "I hope that _she_ gets a paper cut when Jasper is around."

"Bella!" Edward chastised. He cast a worried glance at his parents, who were in each others arms on the dance floor. They had obviously heard my tirade, but thankfully, they both appeared to be laughing.

Edward pulled a pen from his jacket and scribbled something down on a napkin, before sliding it towards me. I opened it up in confusion, wondering what he needed to tell me that he didn't want his parents to overhear.

_~ Do you have any idea how sexy it is to hear you growl? ~ _

I swallowed the small moan that was threatening to escape through my lips. Naughty Edward was coming out to play – and that man _owned _me. I felt a flood of arousal consume me, and Edwards nostrils flared as he caught the change in my scent. I could see the vibrations in his chest as it rumbled with his quiet growl. Tentatively, I ran my heel clad foot up the inside of his leg. I had expected him to stop me – to tell me that I was being improper, but he _didn't._ His breaths came out in soft, hushed pants and he moaned almost silently when I pressed against his arousal.

"Mine," I repeated in a quiet whisper. I added more pressure, wanting to be clear which part of his anatomy I was referring to at that moment.

"Ungh... _yours_," he stammered. He fumbled for the pen and scribble me another message – with difficulty.

_We need to get back to the hotel. NOW._

His second note was as tense as his black eyes and I found myself licking my lips in apprehension, knowing what was about to happen. I shoved the note into my purse just as Edward pulled me from my seat. He offered his parents a hurried goodbye, before pulling us out of the dining room.

* * *

**AN: I feel some kink coming on. Next chapter will be up within the next few minutes. Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Recap: **

_Edward pulled a pen from his jacket and scribbled something down on a napkin, before sliding it towards me. I opened it up in confusion, wondering what he needed to tell me that he didn't want his parents to overhear._

_ Do you have any idea how sexy it is to hear you growl? _

_ I swallowed the small moan that was threatening to escape through my lips. Naughty Edward was coming out to play – and that man owned me. I felt a flood of arousal consume me, and Edwards nostrils flared as he caught the change in my scent. I could see the vibrations in his chest as it rumbled with his quiet growl. Tentatively, I ran my heel clad foot up the inside of his leg. I had expected him to stop me – to tell me that I was being improper, but he didn't. His breaths came out in soft, hushed pants and he moaned almost silently when I pressed against his arousal._

_ "Mine," I repeated in a quiet whisper. I added more pressure, wanting to be clear which part of his anatomy I was referring to at that moment._

_ "Ungh... yours," he stammered. He fumbled for the pen and scribble me another message – with difficulty._

**_We need to get back to the hotel. NOW._**

_ His second note was as tense as his black eyes and I found myself licking my lips in appreciation for what was about to happen. I shoved the note into my purse just as Edward pulled me from my seat. He offered his parents a hurried goodbye, before pulling us out of the dining room._

* * *

"Edward?" I whispered. "The boat hasn't docket yet. We can't get off."

His head snapped to the window to confirm my statement and he groaned in frustration when he saw that I was right. We were still sailing down the middle of the river. He scooped me up into his arms and raced me along one of the poorly lit corridors. When I reopened my eyes, we were inside a small staff canteen area.

"Edward?" I asked in confusion. What on earth were we doing in here?

His eyes raked over my body eagerly and I had never felt more like his prey than in that moment. From across the room, I could hear his laboured breaths as he slowly sank into a deep hunting crouch. I knew that I should have been afraid – _terrified_ even, but all I could think about was how incredible he looked. I could see the distinct ripple of his muscles as they hunched underneath his shirt, preparing to attack. This was the side of Edward that he had never wanted me to see – his inner predator. He stalked towards me slowly, his eyes never leaving my own. If it hadn't been for the distinct bulge in the front of his pants, I would have worried that he was _thirsty_. I held absolutely still, until I remembered a conversation that Edward and I had enjoyed over a year ago.

"_Vampires like it when their prey runs, Bella. It's twisted – but we enjoy the chase. It's who we are... who I am..." _

I knew that I was being foolish to even consider it – but if the worst came to the worst, I could scream, couldn't I? Elizabeth would hear me if I screamed. I wasn't being reckless if I planned ahead, right? I was almost certain that he wasn't thirsty. He wasn't looking at my neck, or concentrating on any of my other pulse points. I moved my left hand infinitesimally and Edward's eyes snapped to it. His warning growl didn't scare me, it merely spurred me on further. I offered him a wide smile before biting my lip. He stopped and cocked his head to the side, probably wondering why I was so amused.

My hands fumbled for the door knob behind me and in one swift move, I yanked on it and threw the door open with a bang. I barely caught the shocked look on Edward's face as I ran from the room. I raced down the corridor, knowing that he was hot on my tail. The difference now, was that he had to move at a _human_ pace out here. There were people all around us and he couldn't risk his exposure. He was going to have to work for his prey this time. He would really have to chase me! I giggled as I raced up a set of stairs, ignoring the amused looks of the staff that were helping people to leave the boat.

_We've docked!_

I glanced behind me and couldn't see Edward anywhere. He was obviously tracking me, but was probably trying to find my scent in the mass of people who were all over the place. I weaved in and out of the tables in the dining room, creating a small maze for him to follow. It wouldn't distract him for long, but it would buy me some time. Once the doors were open, I pushed into the middle of the crowd and escaped down the jetty, completely concealed in a throng of strangers. An excited squeak flew from my lips when I realised that I had made it to dry land and Edward still hadn't managed to find me. Come to think of it, it probably wouldn't occur to him that I would leave the ship.

I walked over to the side walk and hailed one of the black taxis that had been lingering by the boat looking for passengers. The driver unlocked the door for me and I pulled it open, but didn't climb in straight away. If I got into this car, my scent would end here and Edward wouldn't be able to find me. No – I needed him to _see_ me.

"Where to, Miss?" The driver asked. I pretended to fumble inside my bag for a moment as my eyes frantically scanned the boat. After several minutes, I found Edward in the dining room, following my scent around the tables.

"Edward," I whispered, knowing that he would hear me. His head snapped up and his mouth dropped open in disbelief when his eyes met mine and he realised that I wasn't even on the boat any more. I threw him a saucy wink and slid into the taxi.

"The May fair hotel, please," I grinned. I slammed the door shut and the driver pulled away just as Edward made it to the taxi rank. His impressed smirk turned into a fierce growl as we drove out of sight of each other. I wasn't stupid. I knew that my escape was over the moment I set foot inside the taxi. Edward was probably running alongside it this very second. The moment I stepped out of the car, he would be waiting for me and our little game of cat and mouse would be over.

"The May Fair," the driver announced as the car ground to a gentle stop. As I predicted, Edward was already opening my door for me as he simultaneously paid the driver. His grip around my waist was fierce and as he dragged me inside the hotel.

I saw Alice and Jasper just outside the hotel casino and she winked at me, obviously having seen what I had done this evening. Edward noticed my cheeky grin and tightened his grip around me even further as he pushed me into the very back of the lift. It was crowded, scarcely enough room to breathe and I was barely hiding my disappointed that we couldn't be alone in here.

"Speak to no one," Edward hissed into my ear. "One little sound and you'll get _nothing_ from me, Isabella." His words were so quiet that I barely heard them, but he still managed to sound ferocious. He pulled me back against his chest and I felt his hands slip up the back of my dress. I glanced around in a panic, terrified that someone would see us, but Edward growled at me, forcing me to stop. His fingers found the edge of my panties and I bit my lip to stifle my groan when he ripped them from me in one fluid motion. Just knowing that we were in a crowded lift sent another wave of arousal through me and I rubbed my thighs together, desperately needing some friction.._.._ _anything._

An elderly couple turned to smile at us, and I groaned when the woman began talking to me.

"On vacation?" She trilled. I glanced at Edward, knowing that I wasn't allowed to speak and he grinned, apparently pleased that I had remembered.

"It's our first anniversary," Edward smiled, "Of many, I hope."

He sounded so sincere – so at _ease._ I wondered if the old dear would be watching us with such a fond smile if she knew that Edward was currently binding my hands behind my back with the remains of my tattered panties.

"Oh, I remember when Bill and I were married. It seems like such a long time ago now," she mused, fondly. I bit my lip, trying not to make a sound when Edward began to run his fingers through my slick folds under my dress.

"Well I hope we'll be as happy as you obviously are," Edward smiled sincerely as he slipped a finger inside me. As incredible as it felt, I was having difficulty hiding my annoyance. He seemed so unruffled. I couldn't have stammered unintelligibly at the woman, yet he was having a nice _chat_ with the local pensioners with no trouble at all. I lent back slightly and wrapped my bound hands around his arousal before squeezing... _hard. _

He hissed into my ear and pulled away from my grasp. "Don't even fucking _think_ about it, Isabella," he growled. I whimpered and leant my head against his chest as the lift stopped and everyone stepped out. Edward walked away from me and stepped over to the panel. He inserted the key card to the penthouse suite and tapped in the security code. Once the lift began to move again, he finally turned to face me, but I couldn't quite meet his eyes. I had never seen this side of Edward before... and I was a little ashamed to say that I _loved_ his animalistic side.

He pulled me into his arms and carried me calmly out of the lift into our suite without saying a word. I had been on my feet for less than a second before Edward tore my dress from my body, leaving me completely naked and him fully dressed. He turned me around and forced me to bed over the dining table. In a move too fast for me to see, he used the remains of my dress to tie my ankles to one of the table legs. I felt him move away from me and panicked slightly when I couldn't hear or see him any more.

"If only you could see yourself now, Isabella," he whispered from somewhere on my left. I turned my head instinctively, even though I knew that I wouldn't be able to see through the blindfold he had just slipped over my eyes.

"All tied up and completely at my mercy." His voice came from my right this time and I groaned, wanting this game to be over. I needed him to get rid of the ache that had reached breaking point between my legs. "You can't run from me now."

"Edward," I begged.

"_Silence_, Isabella!" he roared. Even though the sound was vicious, I couldn't help but moan again. His hand came down on my ass in a sharp smack and my hips instinctively ground against the table, desperately seeking the friction that Edward was denying me.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Being denied..." He crooned. "It isn't nice to seduce a man and leave him wanting – and you did leave me wanting, Isabella," he murmured next to my ear. His hand soothed the sting that his palm had left on my ass and I pushed back against him, needing him to keep touching me.

"This wasn't about seducing my man," I whimpered.

"Seeing as you seem incapable of staying quiet no matter how many times I tell you to, you may as well continue to speak out of turn and explain what this _was_ about, then," he hissed.

"This wasn't about keeping my _man_ waiting. This was all for my _vampire_. I wanted you to chase me... to _track_ me. I needed you to _hunt_ me. I don't want my man to make love to me... I want my vampire to _fuck_ me," I growled. I barely had the sentence out before he roared and slammed into me harder than he ever had before. He set a punishing pace, pounding into me at a speed that probably wasn't entirely safe. I felt my walls begin to flutter straight away and I let out a long, high-pitched mewl as I felt myself go over the edge.

"Fuck yes, baby. Come for me! You feel so fucking good wrapped around me like this," he hissed.

As my orgasm ebbed, Edward sped up even more and even though I wasn't in pain – far from it, I knew that I was going to be bruised tomorrow.

"Again, Isabella," he growled. "I need to feel you again."

I pushed back against him, forcing him deeper inside me and my mouth dropped open in a silent scream when I felt him hit that perfect spot over and over again.

"_Yes_... that's it... fuck me back," he growled.

"Don't stop," I begged. "Please don't stop." I felt myself tighten around him again and I literally couldn't help my pitiful begging. This had been building all night and I _needed_ the release that Edward was rapidly driving me to.

"Let go baby. Come on! Fucking give it to me, Isabella!"

I screamed Edward's name as wave after wave of pleasure shot through me. I felt Edward roar behind me as he found his own release and I listened to him intently as he calmed down. I closed my eyes and I huffed out an exhausted breath as my laboured breathing began to calm.

Edward pulled out of me and untied my hands and feet at vampire speed. He swept me up into his arms in a move faster than I could track with my weak human eyes and raced me into the massive bathroom, where he began to draw me a bath.

"You're perfect," he breathed as he peppered soft kisses all over my face and neck. "So fucking perfect."

I hummed in appreciation as he lowered me into the soothing hot water and my eyes drooped closed as I lost my exhausted battle to keep them open.

"I don't know how you understand the vampire mind so well, love, but I'll be forever grateful for you. You always seem to anticipate my needs before I even know what I want myself," he whispered as he washed me. His lean fingers soothed away every ache in my body and I felt myself growing more and more tired with each passing second.

"After all this time, you still don't understand," I whispered in a weary voice.

"Understand what, my love?" he murmured.

"You spend so much time trying to hide what you are from me. You've built this perfect smokescreen around yourself and you refuse to let your baser instincts show... and it's slowly destroying us, Edward," I whispered in reply.

"_What_?" His voice sounded horrified and I realised that the least I could do was open my eyes. This wasn't the sort of thing you addressed when you are half asleep. "Baby, I don't want to destroy us. Tell me what to do and I'll fix it... _please_..."

"Tonight wasn't just about you, Edward. Tonight was about me, too. I didn't fall in love with a human. I fell in love with a vampire and I _need_ that side of you. I love seeing your baser instincts kick in. I need to hear you growl and hiss and watch you let go of your façade. Gentle Edward is good, but so is vampire Edward. Please stop hiding yourself from me. Tonight was _incredible_," I breathed. Flashbacks of Edward's commanding voice flashed through my mind and I found myself grinning at the memory.

"What I wouldn't give to be inside your mind, for just a moment," he murmured as his fingers stroked my temple lovingly. "Did I hurt you, Bella?"

I opened my mouth to deny the accusation, but then I remembered my promise to be more open with him. I closed my mouth and squirmed in the tub, assessing my bodies for any potential injuries.

"My entire body feels like jello," I giggled. His cheek lifted into an amused smirk, but I knew that he was waiting for a more thorough answer from me.

"Your strength was completely controlled. You were moving at your natural speed, but it didn't hurt. It felt incredible," I whispered, shyly. He nodded, before huffing out a relieved breath.

"But I want you to prepare yourself for some bruising, Edward," I admitted honestly. "..and some marks where my hands and feet were tied."

"_Shit." _He ran his hands through his hair in agitation and I grabbed them, refusing to let him overreact before I had a chance to explain.

"I promised you, Edward. I promised you that I would tell you if you were being too rough with me. At no point tonight did I forget that promise to you. There was a moment when I felt your fingers tighten on my hips and I took a few seconds to work out if you were holding me too tightly. You weren't hurting me, Edward... but humans _do_ bruise from prolonged pressure on one spot. I need you to trust me, Edward. I need you to trust that I wouldn't risk our relationship again by being reckless," I murmured.

His eyes scanned my face for any sign of a lie, but I knew that he would find none. I wasn't lying to him. Everything I just said was completely true. He sighed again and pressed a gentle kiss to each one of my eyelids.

"It helps, Bella. I can be less cautious with you now, maybe _experiment_ a bit more, test your boundaries, even? I can do that now that I know that you will stop me if I'm hurting you." He smiled gently. "Although it was completely reckless of you to run from me in the first place. How did you know that I wasn't thirsty, Bella? This could have all ended so differently," he fretted.

"Though it may have looked completely spontaneous, tonight was carefully measured, Edward. I took precautions before I initiated that chase around London. I know my vampire and you weren't thirsty," I hummed as he washed my hair.

"Precautions?" He asked in confusion. "What precautions?"

"At no point were your eyes fixed onto any of my pulse points. If you had been thirsty, your eyes would have been trained on my neck. I jerked my hand deliberately and your eyes followed the movement. That simple twitch of the wrist showed me that you weren't vying for my blood. If you were, I wouldn't have been able to distract you. Nothing distracts a vampire from their blood-lust," I whispered, remembering Jasper's attack on me just last year.

"Secondly, I decided that if things were to go wrong, I could call for your parents help. I would have been able to raise the alarm without anyone else on the boat suspecting a thing, simply by whispering their names. They would have been able to hear me no matter how quiet I was."

"Lastly, I chose to initiate this in a public place. I knew that you would have to act human. You would have to move at _my _speed. You wouldn't be able to let yourself go completely... it would keep you grounded and your thirst at bay, knowing that you could expose yourself if you acted rashly or without caution," I murmured.

I glanced at Edward's face and he was looking at me with a mixture of shock and pride across his face.

"I can protect you too, Edward." I could do that. I may not have been able to protect him from vampires or werewolves, but I could certainly protect him from himself. He pulled me wordlessly from the bath and wrapped me in a towel, taking his time as he dried me. His fingers moved so slowly now, so _gently_. It was a stark comparison to the frenzied touches he had given me just an hour ago. He carried me into the luxurious bed and lay down beside me, nestling us both underneath the fluffy blankets.

"You were right, Bella. Tonight _was_ incredible," he murmured into my hair. "I promise not to overreact if you're bruised tomorrow. I wont overreact, but I will be here to kiss them all better."

I grinned into the pillow. _Another victory! _ My eyes finally lost their battle to stay open and I nuzzled deeper into the comforter just as Edward began to hum my lullaby.

"Our forever is going to be perfect, Bella. Just you wait and see..."

Those were the last words I heard before I slipped into a deep sleep, dreaming of my Edward – and our perfect forever.

* * *

**AN: If life gives you lemons, keep them, cause hey - free lemons! **

**Oops! It looks like Edward and Bella forgot to keep their voices down! **

**Next chapter will be up as soon as possible. Aiming for tomorrow night, but can't promise I'm afraid.**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:****I'm a little under the weather today, so I had time to stay at home and write chapter 19 sooner than expected. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm already halfway through chapter 20 and I'm aiming to have it up by tomorrow morning. My fingers may fall off from all the typing, but I'm having a blast all tucked up in bed with my lap top and a box of chocolates to cheer me up. Hope you like it! See you at the bottom!  
**

* * *

_Recap:_

_He carried me into the luxurious bed and lay down beside me, nestling us both underneath the fluffy blankets._

"_You were right, Bella. Tonight was incredible," he murmured into my hair. "I promise not to overreact if you're bruised tomorrow. I wont overreact, but I will be here to kiss them all better." _

_I grinned into the pillow. Another victory! My eyes finally lost their battle to stay open and I nuzzled deeper into the comforter just as Edward began to hum my lullaby. _

"_Our forever is going to be perfect, Bella. Just you wait and see..." _

_Those were the last words I heard before I slipped into a deep sleep, dreaming of course, of my Edward – and our perfect forever. _

* * *

I woke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed, rubbing my tired eyes as I tried to work out what had woken me so suddenly. I couldn't recall having a nightmare and I wasn't in any pain at all. A cursory glance out of the window had me scowling when I saw how dark it was outside. I punched my pillow and lay back down in an irritated huff. My eyelids were just beginning to droop when I heard Edward growl from somewhere in our suite.

"Emmett, you need to shut the fuck up before I put you on the first flight back to Ithaca!" His fierce tone had me leaping out of the bed and scrambling for some clothes – _any_ clothes. I fumbled around blindly in the dark and eventually found the closet. After pulling on a pair of Edward's boxers and a wife beater, I padded over to our bedroom door and listened intently to the uproar in the living room.

"She let you _spank_ her! Dude, I've been married for eighty years and Rosalie has _never_ let me do that! She had you exactly where she wanted you, too! Bella's a fucking _seductress! _She could put the Denali's to shame!"

My hand flew to my mouth and I let out a silent groan. Well that explained why Edward was so angry. We had been _heard _last night_. _An almighty crash pulled me from my thoughts and I raced out of the bedroom towards the sound. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Emmett sprawled out on the floor with the remains of our sofa underneath his immense weight. Edward towered over him, his expression murderous.

"I want you to listen to me Emmett because I'm only going to say this once. The next time you refer to Bella in _any_ way, you had better be reciting classic poetry or comparing her to a fresh spring morning, because I swear to _God,_ if I hear you compare my sweet Angel to those filthy whores ever again, you'll be begging for death long before I grant it to you." His words were like _acid_. Pure vitriol dripped from his very core and I wasn't at all surprised that Emmett looked a little scared. While I _was_ slightly embarrassed by the things Emmett had said, I was focusing more on Edward's protective words and stance. He had just pummelled his brother through a ridiculously expensive couch, just out of love for me.

"Did everyone hear us?" I whispered. Edward's head spun around towards me and his expression softened as he rushed over to me.

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't hear you wake. I was a little... _preoccupied_ with Emmett," he murmured as he nuzzled my cheek. Emmett stood up and brushed the debris from his hair and pants.

"Sorry Bells," Emmett muttered. "I was just excited to hear that Eddie had finally popped his cherry. I didn't mean to –"

"Emmett, for once in your life, do the sensible thing and shut the fuck up. If you're going to apologise to Bella, do it properly or get the hell out of our room," Edward sneered. I stifled my giggle as I recalled the day, many months ago, when I had accused Edward's mood swings of giving me whiplash. That was _nothing_ compared to this. Emmett sighed and walked out of the room without a backwards glance, while Edward scowled at the spot on the floor that he had just vacated.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Edward whispered. He was determinedly refusing to meet my gaze and his face looked completely dejected. "They weren't supposed to find out like this. I wasn't paying attention to our surroundings. I _should_ have been listening, but I wasn't, and now they all know. They all heard everything."

"Everything?" I confirmed in a whimper. Edward nodded his head solemnly and I slouched down onto the floor in a daze. "Did your parents hear?"

Again, Edward offered a stiff nod but didn't meet my eyes. I cringed, knowing how dreadful this was going to be for him. During Edward's youth, unmarried couples didn't even _kiss_. Now he was going to have to explain to his Victorian _mother_ why he felt inclined to tie up his girlfriend, bend her over a table and spank her into compliance.

_Shit._

Random flashbacks jumped into my unwilling mind and I felt myself pale as I imagined sweet Elizabeth hearing each sentence come out of her not-so-innocent sons mouth.

"_If only you could see yourself now, Isabella...All tied up and completely at my mercy."_

I groaned and buried my rapidly reddening face in my hands.

"_Silence, Isabella!"_

I remembered Mr. Masen reminding Edward that I was a lady, and firmly instructing Edward to treat me like one.

"_Yes... that's it... fuck me back!"_

There had been no whispered words of eternal, undying love to redeem our actions. This had been a claiming ritual for both of us. I hissed and forced myself up off the floor, rising to my feet in a motion far more fluid than usual for me. With my hands placed firmly on my hips, I paced the room, trying to work out what the hell we were going to do now. I didn't know Edward's parents _well_, but I was amazed that Elizabeth hadn't taken the door off it's hinges in an attempt to berate her son for his actions. More concerning than that though, was the fact that Edward still hadn't moved. His eyes were fixed firmly on the spot that Emmett had just left and his posture was rigid and unmoving. His eyes were coal-black and I realised that he hadn't hunted in days either.

"Edward?" I whispered. "You need to hunt, sweetheart."

"But my parents-"

"...Will still be here in a few hours. They wouldn't want you to be in pain, darling," I crooned, trying to offer any small comfort that I could. He nodded swiftly and pressed a tense kiss to my temple.

"I'll only be an hour, love," he whispered. "...and then I _will_ fix this."

His solemn vow was obviously heartfelt and I struggled to hold back my tears as he left our suite. He looked so _vulnerable. _His shoulders were slumped in defeat and his face was just unbearably defenceless. The mere sight of him gave me the strength I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and pull myself together. I walked into the closet and found something more appropriate to wear, before running a brush through my tangled hair and stepping into the elevator. I tapped in the key code and took a deep breath as the doors closed around me, boxing me in and sealing my fate.

It took me a while to find Carlisle and Esme's suite, but I knew that this was where everyone would congregate. In times of need, the family all flocked to the father figure for guidance. I didn't bother knocking, the Cullen's and the Masen's would have heard my heavy footsteps a mile away. Instead, I pushed open the door to their suite and stepped inside. Everyone was unnaturally quiet as I entered the room and I rolled my eyes at them, feeling childish in my defence.

"Bella, dear," Esme smiled. "You're up early."

I glanced at the clock on their wall and saw that it was a past five in the morning. 'Early' was perhaps a little more than an immense understatement.

"Yes, well I _was_ sleepy peacefully, until a whacking great baboon bounded into my suite and began screeching his excitement like a preppy fan girl," I reasoned, my gaze landing on a very sheepish looking Emmett.

"Sorry, Bella," he murmured. "But you don't need to tell me off. Rosalie already did it for you," he said, recovering instantly with a cheerful grin. One quick glance around the room told me that the Masen's weren't here after all. That was definitely _not_ a good sign.

"Cheer up Bella," Alice grinned. "Anyone else would be smiling after the night you just had."

Esme winced and I turned my glare to Alice, who flinched as though she didn't understand why I might be upset with her.

"You knew," I accused with a venomous glare. "You _knew_ that this was going to happen and you just let us carry on without any warning. You actually _winked_ at me tonight on my way into the hotel. You could have stopped all of this."

She rolled her eyes at me and bounced over to my side, linking her small arm through my own. "Oh don't be ridiculous, Bella. I was doing you a favour. You don't have to hide any more now. Everyone knows and you can finally just concentrate on being a couple without all the sneaking around," she grinned.

I hissed and pulled my arm out of her cold grasp. "That wasn't your decision to make, Alice. Maybe we were _enjoying_ all of the sneaking around. Did that ever occur to you? Who gave you the right to play God with other peoples lives?" I demanded. Her mouth dropped open in shock and she tried to approach me again, but I stepped away from her and crossed my arms over my chest.

"B-Bella," she stammered.

"No, Alice. This is not okay – _we_ are not okay. Have you actually _seen_ your brother? When you decided to publicly 'out' us, did you even bother to look into his future and see what this would do to him? To his parents? He's a _mess_, Alice. A complete fucking mess!"

Esme gasped, probably at my foul language, but somehow I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her – _barely_.

"All we wanted was a little time. Edward was hoping that we would be able to ease his parents into modern world gently, but after everything they overheard this evening, he's going to have to give them the short and sweet version," I muttered, still not taking my angry eyes off of Alice's tense face.

"Bella?" Carlisle whispered. "Did Edward _hurt_ you this evening?" He seemed hesitant, almost as though he didn't want to ask me at all. "He is... quite a bit stronger than you... we were worried. Jasper assured us that you weren't in real pain, but I wanted to check."

"Carlisle... how can you even _ask_ that? Do you not know Edward at all? Of course he didn't hurt me! I may be human, but I'm not a helpless maiden who needs to be placed on a pedestal. I am a consenting adult and I thoroughly enjoyed Edward's attentions this evening. Not only did I welcome his advances, I _initiated_ them! I am a terrible influence on your son, and I admit to corrupting him completely, but if it's any consolation, he thoroughly enjoyed himself too."

Rosalie let out a very unladylike giggle-snort from the corner of the room but I ignored her. I hoped that wherever the Masen's were in the hotel, that they could hear me. Elizabeth was probably going to hate me after this, but it needed to be said. I wouldn't have her blaming Edward for something that I instigated.

"It has taken me over a year to remove the firmly planted silver spoon from Edward's ass crack, but I've finally managed it and no matter what else I achieve in my time on this earth, _that_ will always be my greatest accomplishment. For the first time in Edward's very long life, he is finally living a little and I _refuse_ to let anyone hinder his slow progress." I turned to face everyone in the room and addressed them all at once. My voice had reached a high pitch screech and I sounded a little insane, but it was the middle of the night and I was angry and embarrassed. I shouldn't have to justify my relationship to them at all!

"Do you know what the worst part about this is? It's the fact that Edward actually thanked me for tonight. He finally allowed himself to be a vampire around me, and now he feels guilty for doing so. You all moan at him constantly for being so introverted and emotional, but can you blame him? You can't _fart_ in this family without everyone being involved. Carlisle would insist on running tests on the fart, Jasper would assess our emotional state as the fart slipped out, Esme would try to mother the fart, Alice would warn us in advance that the fart was coming, Emmett would be there to mock the fart, Rosalie wouldn't rest until she found a ridiculous reason to _hate_ the fart. It's emotional bloody turmoil! For the love of _Christ, _let the poor man fart in peace!" I ranted. My hands were flailing as I gestured to each vampire in the room. I was so far past angry, that I literally couldn't control my emotions any more.

"Er, Belly-boo?" Emmett interrupted in confusion, "Edward can't fart..."

I screamed in frustration and and whipped my head to face him. "It's a _metaphor_ you dumb shit!"

"Edward is upset?"

The small voice from the doorway made me want to crawl under a rock and die, but that wasn't an option. For the first time in my life, I was going to face my fears head on. I had always been afraid of confrontation, but this wasn't just about me. This was about protecting Edward and our delicately balanced relationship. I turned to face Elizabeth and sighed at the forlorn expression on her face.

"You heard everything I just said?" I confirmed. She offered a jerky bob of the head and I slumped into one of the over-stuffed armchairs.

She just _had _to walk into the room, right in the middle of my 'fart' speech, didn't she?

_FUCK. MY. LIFE._

"Yes, Elizabeth. He's very upset... and I hate that he feels ashamed. I mean no disrespect, but what I do with Edward in the privacy of our room has nothing to do with any of you, but for some ridiculous reason, we're having a family meeting to hash it out. This entire conversation is insane." I muttered in reply. I rubbed my tired face with my hands and tried to calm down. My earlier outburst had probably not helped the situation at all.

"You love my son very much," she mused, changing the subject once again. I pulled my face from my hands and frowned at her. Wasn't it obvious that I loved him?

"Mrs. Masen, I have been tracked by a notoriously blood-thirsty vampire who tortured me for over an hour while he filmed my screams of agony, and the only thing that kept me going was Edward. His face was the last thing that flashed through my mind each time I passed out from the pain. Then I was attacked and very nearly drained by Jasper, but I survived and ran straight into your sons arms, only to have him reject me. Edward broke my heart and left me for a _year_, but I waited for him faithfully – even though he told me that he didn't love me any more. Even though he swore that I would never see him again." My anger had disappeared completely this point and I simply felt drained. All I wanted to do was enjoy my future with Edward, but there was always something... _someone_ trying to stop that from happening.

"I've turned my back on all of my friends and what's left of my family. I have given up any chance of ever having a child of my own. I'm willing to sacrifice my life, my heart and my soul to be with him. I will readily endure three days of agonising pain as his venom burns every shred of my humanity from me... and I'll do this with a smile on my face because there is _nothing_ that I can't overcome if it means that I get to stay with your son. Edward and I were destined for each other - I fervently believe that fact. He is quite literally the other half of my soul and we can't survive without each other. We've tried and it nearly destroyed us both." I stood up and walked over to the window, choosing to watch the oblivious people on the street below, rather than face this judgemental coven any more.

"Edward and I were never meant to be separated," I mused as my fingers trailed through the condensation on the window. "...But somewhere in the grand scheme, something went wrong and we ended up being born a century apart. Edward becoming a vampire wasn't a curse at all. It was fates way of intervening – altering the future to give us the chance to live the life we should always have had," I whispered. "It's a poor substitute for the future we deserved. Neither one of us will come out of this alive. We'll both have to die and suffer eternal immortality. We'll never be able to have children and we wont grow old together. But none of that matters if we have each other. None of it." I turned away from the window and met the sad eyes of Elizabeth Masen, who looked as though she would be crying if she could.

"So, yes, Elizabeth. I love Edward. My feelings for your son supersede everything in my life... even time itself, in the end." My whisper trailed off into a wheeze when I felt Edward's strong arms encircle my waist. I hadn't even heard him come in! He let out a long, low purr into my ear and I leant back into his embrace instinctively, enjoying the soft vibrations that came from his chest and ran down my spine.

"You should be sleeping, love," he whispered. "You must be exhausted."

I shook my head in refusal and was surprised when I genuinely meant it. It may have been early, but I really wasn't tired at all any more.

"Would you like to go out and get some breakfast?" He asked as nuzzled my cheek. "We can start our day a little early."

I spun in his arms wanting to see his face. His expression was completely calm and collected – a vast change from a few hours ago. I couldn't see a single scrap of the distress that had marred his perfect features before his hunt. His eyes shone with nothing but unreserved love for me. I raised a questioning eyebrow at him and he shook his head.

"You were right, love. Every single word you spoke a moment ago was the truth – I've just been too blinded by hatred of what I am to see it for myself. No one else matters now, Bella – _nothing_ is more important than keeping us together. I can survive anyone's condemnation, as long as it isn't yours. At one point or another, I have lived without everyone in this room, but I can't survive without you. So from now on, no more hiding and no more holding back. We're doing things our way – and if anyone in here has a problem with that," he muttered, glancing at his family, "they can pack their things and leave."

He pulled me tighter into his grasp and steeled his resolve. His features hardened and his expression was not one to be fucked with. "This trip is solely for me and Bella. We're commemorating her final year as a human before she gives up everything for me. We want you to be here to celebrate with us, but we don't _need _you here. I wont be told how to love my mate and I wont be forced to listen to your disapproval. If you don't like it, I'll point you in the direction of the nearest airport." He raked his eyes over each member of his family – almost daring them to test his patience. I was pleasantly surprised when no one offered any arguments. A few of the coven even managed to look contrite.

"So, you mentioned getting breakfast for Bella," Mr. Masen murmured from across the room. Just like that, the tension eased and everyone sprung into action as they raced to their rooms to shower and change. I charged off too without a backwards glance, leaving my very amused mate behind me. After having a quick shower, I threw on another pretty summer dress and ran down to the lobby to meet up with Edward and his family.

"You look beautiful as always, Miss Swan," he smiled as I approached him. He pulled a single pink flower from behind his back and tucked it neatly into my freshly washed hair.

"Thank you, Edward." I blushed, but not from embarrassment. No - my cheeks were tinged with pink because I was really starting to feel as beautiful as Edward frequently told me I was. His eyes had sparkled with undisguised pride as I had walked across the lobby towards him. He was proud to have me on his arm... and that meant the world to me.

"Come on love," he grinned. "We have an exceptionally busy day ahead of us."

"Why? What do you have planned?" I replied.

"Well, we have the rest of London to discover and we only have twenty-three hours to do it in," he mused.

"Why? What's happening after that?" I asked. He helped me into one of the waiting taxis before grinning at me.

"We're going to the airport. We're moving on to the next part of our trip."

My excited squeal scared the driver and the car swerved in the road slightly. I apologised to him and ducked my head into Edward's shoulder. Part of me was sorry to be leaving this beautiful city. I felt like we had only just arrived and now we would be leaving tomorrow. But at the same time, I knew that I was being shown the entire _world..._. I was hardly in a position to moan. I decided to stop being so stupid and enjoy my final day here. After all, we were going to live forever. I could come back here as often as I liked.

"Where are we going next? Which country?" I whisper-yelled.

Edward smirked and slipped his arm around my shoulder before looking out the window.

"Wait and see, love. Wait and see."

* * *

**AN: This is completely unrelated to the story, so please feel free to ignore my rambling, but I have a question for all of my lovely American readers. ****I'm still trying to work out the differences in dialect between the US and the UK and my question is really silly but it's bugging me so much! **

**In England we have Jam, but you call it Jelly, right? Over here, jelly is the wobbly stuff you eat with ice-cream at kids parties. What do you call it if it's not jelly? Is it Jello? Lol I know I sound stupid, but it really is bugging me. If anyone could let me know, I would be SO grateful and you would be the BEST!**

**I'm hoping to have chapter twenty up in the morning. Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for the delay. I know that I promised to upload the next chapter days ago, but I've had an unexpected visit from my Mother! She's been living abroad for the last few years and decided to come and stay with me for a few weeks. I don't mind this - but obviously I don't want her to read this story over my shoulder as I type it. Can you imagine her reading the last few chapters? Argh! It's my worst nightmare! **

**Okay - firstly, THANK YOU to everyone who helped me out with the Jam vs Jello problem! I laughed for hours at all the PM's I received from you all. At least twenty of you think it's strange that we eat jelly with our ice cream. No, I'm not confused lol. We mix them together at children's parties. We think it's strange that you eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sounds gross! (No offence!) **

**Secondly - I think I'm going to lose a lot of readers in this chapter. You'll see why when you reach the bottom. **

**Anyway - I'm sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

"_Why? What's happening after that?" I asked in confusion. He helped me into one of the waiting taxis before grinning at me. _

"_We're going to the airport. We're moving on to the next part of our trip." _

_My excited squeal scared the driver and the car swerved in the road slightly. I apologised to him and ducked my head into Edward's shoulder. Part of me was sorry to be leaving this beautiful city. I felt like we had only just arrived and now we would be leaving tomorrow. But at the same time, I knew that I was being shown the entire world... I was hardly in a position to moan. I decided to stop being so stupid and enjoy my final day here. After all, we were going to live forever. I could come back here as often as I liked. _

"_Where are we going next? Which country?" I whisper-yelled._

_Edward smirked and slipped his arm around my shoulder before looking out the window._

"_Wait and see, love. Wait and see." _

* * *

For over twenty hours I had been not too subtly trying to persuade Edward to tell me we were going, but he was having none of it. He was determined to keep our destination a secret – even to the point of chartering a private plane to take us there. Our car had just pulled up on the runway and as Edward helped to load our things onto the jet, I followed him around grumbling the whole way.

"_Please_ tell me where we're going, Edward," I begged shamelessly. "Pretty please?" I bat my eyelashes at him and hoped to high heaven that I looked sexy and not like I had something lodged in my eye.

"Bella, you can flutter your pretty little eyes all you like. I'm not telling you which country we're going to." His cocky grin was so confident and self assured, he really had no intention of saying anything. I internally huffed, but managed to keep my own smile on my face as I sidled up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Sometimes I think I preferred it when we were chaste. Trying to be sexy was_ exhausting. _ I attempted to make my voice sound alluring and tried again.

"Is there nothing I can do to persuade you?" I pouted. "I'll do _anything..._" Okay, that wasn't alluring. I sounded dehydrated. Bugger-nuts!

"...Anything?" His sharp intake of breath and timid reply made my mouth snap open in surprise. His eyes were scanning my face and I gave myself a silent high-five. Maybe I'm not so bad at this after all!

"Anything," I mouthed. He let out a small pant and began clumsily fumbling for something in his pocket. He pulled out a wad of paperwork and passed it to me. I scanned the top and grinned when I saw that it was our airline paperwork. I was about to open it, but something made me pause. What was I _doing_?

"Edward? Was this supposed to be a surprise?"

"No, you can look," he murmured distractedly. "Bella, when you said 'anything'..."

I coughed a small laugh at the excited expression on his face and beamed in pride at the progress he had made since we had been reunited. If I had said something like that to him last year, I would have been forced to listen to a lengthy lecture about improper behaviour between unmarried couples... blah blah blah. I passed him back the documents without reading them and his face fell. "No, Bella. You can read them – please read them. I'm sorry I teased you." His gentle begging only widened my smile further and I clasped his forlorn face between my hands.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise, Edward – not when you've obviously been working so hard to plan this trip for me," I whispered after pressing a few tiny kisses to his stunned lips.

"But – but you said that if I told you where we were going, that we could... that I could –" he trailed off in uncertainty. His eyes were beseeching, pleading with me to understand. This man would never cease to amaze me. He had been so uninhibited last night - so raw and passionate, yet he was still reticent today. He was still too shy to actually tell me what he wanted. It was a constant battle between Edward Masen and Edward Cullen - who he was, and who he is now.

"You can still have your 'anything' Edward, but I'm not going to do it because I bribed you." I pressed another soft kiss to his lips and he offered a barely audible moan in reply. "I'm assuming that you had something in mind then?" I teased. He shifted on his feet uncomfortably and I coughed to hide my amusement.

"Come on love birds!" Emmett yelled as he climbed the stairs on the aircraft. "Are you getting on this plane or are we going to stand here and flirt all day?"

"Flirt," Edward mumbled around my lips. "Definitely flirt."

It was only Edward's gentle kisses that stopped me from growling at Emmett. Why couldn't he just leave us _alone_?

"Oh come _on_, Edward! All that friction in her panties is going to start a fire down there. I'm telling you man, don't come crying to me when your human suddenly bursts into flames. After all, it's _Bella_ we're talking about. It could totally happen!"

"That's _it_!" I screeched. Emmett's little rant was the straw that broke _this_ particular camels back. I flew from Edward's arms and ran at Emmett as quickly as I could.

"Oh shit! Edward? Control your woman!" Emmett laughed as he ran onto the jet. I ran past the amused faces of the family less than two seconds later, but Emmett was nowhere to be found.

"Where did he go?" I all but growled. Everyone was laughing at me, apart from Edward, who was watching me with a concerned expression on his face as he moved into the plane.

"Love?" He whispered gently. "Are you okay? You seem a little... out of sorts..." His quiet question wasn't enough to distract me from the red mist that had descended over me though. I knew that I was being irrationally angry... but what I didn't understand was _why. _My eyes closed instinctively and I blocked out the voices of everyone else in the cabin. My breath caught in my chest when I realised that I could hear the minute movements of each of the the vampires around me – it was not something that I had ever experienced before. Normally, they moved in absolute silence. Were they being intentionally loud?

Even though my eyes were closed, I somehow _knew_ that Jasper was the nearest person to me. His fingers were rhythmically stroking a quiet beat onto something... something scratchy. His clothes? No – the chair... He was stroking the chair in front of him. Rosalie was making a different sound from three feet to my right. It sounded like thousands of tiny whips? I scrunched my eyes closed tighter, trying to identify the sound but couldn't place it. In absolute frustration, I wrenched my eyes open and focused on her movements. Her left hand was idly playing with a strand of her hair. She would pull it up... and let it go again. Each tiny hair whipped past her face as it fell and created a loud lashing sound. I slapped my hands over my ears, trying to drown out all of the new noises. Everything was _deafening_ to me.

"Bella!" Edward said in alarm. He ran over to me and grabbed my face between his hands, frantically searching my eyes for an answer that wasn't there. I shook my head, trying to convey silently that I couldn't talk right now. I scrunched my eyes closed once more and concentrated on the noises around me. In less than ten seconds I was accurately able to pinpoint with exact precision where everyone was – including Emmett. My eyes flew open and I walked, extremely slowly, towards the row of seats on the other side of the plane.

"Bella, love? What are you doing? What's wrong?" Edward murmured as he watched me in concern.

"I know where Emmett is," I whispered. " I can _feel_ him moving." Above me were at least twenty overhead lockers designed for hand luggage. I trailed my hand along each one before stopping at the seventeenth, where I could hear Emmett breathing harshly from inside the confined space. My fingers grasped the small handle and I turned it, ignoring the gasps that came from behind me. Emmett's shocked face was the first thing that I saw, and I recoiled from the sight.

_What is happening to me?_

"That was a fucking lucky guess Belly-boo," Emmett muttered as he jumped out of the cabin. He was eyeing me with concern and I faltered under his sharp gaze.

"Bella?" Edward tried again as he approached me. "What do you mean you can 'feel' Emmett?" His eyes were harsh and shrewd. He was gazing at me as though I made suddenly break out into dance at any moment.

"Edward, we can talk about this in the air. Our clearance for take-off just came through from the tower," Alice whispered. She gave me a worried glance and turned back to the cockpit with Jasper following hurriedly after her. I jumped into a seat and fastened my seatbelt, trying my hardest to ignore the not-too-subtle glances from the family who all remained standing as Alice and Jasper inched the small aircraft up the runway. On any other day, I might have been amused by the fact that Alice and Jasper were flying the plane, or by the fact that neither the Cullen's nor the Masen's needed to sit down during take off. Once the plane had levelled out, I slipped my seat belt off and lay my head in my hands.

"I don't know, Carlisle!" Edward whispered furiously. "But she ran onto this plane a _lot_ faster than she should have been able to. It was almost..._ inhuman_..."

"She put her hands over her ears, too. Something is wrong, son. Talk to her," Mr. Masen pushed.

"I covered my ears because you're all being so noisy." I groaned. "Please stop," I begged. The scream of the engine was the worst, though. It's constant high-pitched keening made me want to rip off my own ears.

"Bella, sweetheart?" Edward whispered as he crouched in front of me. "Bella look at me, please!"

I managed to raise my head and meet his eyes – but as soon as I did I wished that I hadn't. He looked absolutely petrified and that was never going to be a good sign.

"Bella, love – we're not being noisy. In fact, you shouldn't have been able to hear my father speaking at all. Talk to me darling. Please tell me what's going on," he whispered frantically. I slipped out of my seat and climbed into his lap, needing the support that only he could provide. Alice and Jasper came back into the main cabin and I panicked.

"Easy, Bells," Jasper smiled. "It's on autopilot darlin.'" I offered a stiff nod before turning back to Edward, who was watching my every move intently.

"Edward, I don't understand what's happening to me. I feel so _strange_..."

"How, love? Please, Bella – you really need to stop speaking in riddles and just _tell_ me what's wrong!" He groaned.

"I can hear _everything_, Edward. I can hear you all breathing. I can hear Alice rubbing her fingers together behind her back –"

Edward cast a quick glance over to Alice, no doubt wanting to check my assessment and groaned when she offered him a small nod.

"Have you felt anything else, Bella?" Carlisle asked as he crouched down in front of me. "Anything unusual?"

I shook my head but then stopped, realising that this wasn't true. "I was angry," I whispered, turning to Carlisle. "..._Really_ angry. When Emmett teased me before take off, it was like a red mist of absolute fury descended and all I wanted to do was strangle him. That's why I chased him onto the plane." I explained. Edward hissed and buried his face into my hair, mumbling incoherently. When he finally raised his head, he looked terrified.

"That's not all, Carlisle. She's showing signs of being mated."He whispered as he ran his hands through is hair.

"How?" Carlisle pressed urgently.

"When we went to dinner on the boat, there was a waitress – she was... _suggestive_. Bella didn't take too kindly to it." Edward murmured.

"Humans get jealous too, Edward. This hardly qualifies as signs of being mated..." Jasper drawled.

"Yes, Jasper – they do. But humans do not growl and hiss at their competition!" He spat in reply. "Nor do they repeatedly murmur the word 'mine' under their breath."

"Oh my God," Alice whispered. "How did I not see this?"

"There's more," Edward mumbled against my shoulder. "When you... _heard_ us two nights ago, I had been tracking Bella across London. _Hunting_ her..."

"Edward!" Esme shouted. "Explain yourself this instant!"

"I wanted him to," I admitted in a small voice. "I instigated it. I ran from him, knowing that he would chase me. I _needed_ it."

"Carlisle, she knew _exactly_ what to do. She weaved her scent around that boat so thoroughly that I genuinely couldn't find her. She had to call my fucking name from the shore as a hint! I didn't even know that she had left the boat!" He fumed.

"Go on," Carlisle urged.

"She knew exactly which buttons to push to shred me of my humanity. Bella successfully stripped my carefully constructed façade, and in less than ten seconds I was a quivering mess of need. I was all vampire that night, Carlisle. Once we were back at the hotel, she told me everything. She tested my thirst before she ran from me. She _knew_ that her scent would disappear once she got into the car, so she let me know where she was before she climbed inside the taxi. Carlisle, I have _never_ been forthcoming with a vampires nature. Bella just instinctively knew what to do. She _knew_! " He pulled me into his arms and stood up, turning to face his family. Everyone was glancing at Carlisle, expecting answers. He, however, seemed to be at a complete loss.

"Bella, from the plane there is very little I can do – but do you mind if I ask you some questions? Some of them may be a little personal..." Carlisle asked quietly.

"Of course," I whispered. I didn't care what he asked me. I just wanted to know what was wrong with me. Edward sat me down in one of the chairs and took a seat next to me.

"Bella, at your last medical examination, did you receive any irregular results?" He probed. I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, knowing that my answer was going to anger Edward.

"You were the last medical professional I saw, Carlisle." Maybe it was because of my new sensitive hearing, but Edward's annoyed growl seemed louder than usual.

"Isabella, that was nearly a year ago!" Edward seethed. At any other time, I may have recoiled from his angry gaze, but honestly the only thing that I could concentrate on was my happiness, due to the fact that Edward had forgotten that it wasn't _almost_ a year ago. It _was_ a year ago.

Today was my nineteenth birthday.

I offered Edward a small, apologetic shrug, but didn't argue with him. As far as I was concerned, they had all forgotten that it was my birthday – and I certainly wasn't going to remind them. Not after what happened on my birthday last year.

"Bella," Carlisle interrupted, "forgive me – this one _is_ personal, but I need to know if you carried on taking your daily tablets? I made sure that the prescription was repeated monthly before we left..."

I instinctively glanced down, avoiding the penetrating gazes of my curious vampires. "I still take the pill, Carlisle," I whispered.

"The what?" Emmett asked.

"It's a contraceptive, Emmett," Edward whispered reluctantly. "Humans use it to prevent pregnancy."

"But, you can't have children Edward..." Emmett pushed.

"Emmett, humans use contraception for other reasons, too" I whispered. My face was blazing and I wanted to get off this topic as soon as possible.

"Like what?" He asked as he sat down opposite me.

"Emmett! You can't just _ask_ a girl something like that!" Rosalie seethed. "It's rude!"

"It's okay, Rosalie. I don't mind answering him as long as you don't mind hearing it?" I offered. Normally I would have been embarrassed by something like this, but they seemed genuinely interested. It must have been strange for them – to be surrounded by so many humans, but not _understand_ them.

"I don't take the pill to prevent pregnancy, Emmett. Humans use it to... erm... regulate their menstrual cycle. When I first found out that you were vampires, I asked Carlisle to prescribe me the pill so that I could time my cycle around your hunting habits. Once a month, you all left Forks for a long weekend to searcher for larger game –"

"...that's when you stopped taking the pill," Alice mused. "I always wondered why I never smelled-"

"Alice, please don't finish that sentence!" I begged. "It's gross!"

"To _you_, maybe," she grinned. "Not to us." She stuck her tongue out and me and I swallowed the mouthful of bile that rose into my throat when I realised what she was implying.

"Jesus," I breathed. "Forks high school must have been like an all-you-can-eat buffet!" I slapped my hand over my mouth in embarrassment as they all broke into laughter. Apparently, no matter how many years passed – I would never develop a verbal filter.

"Moving on," Carlisle chuckled, "you heartbeat is regular – though a little fast. That's hardly surprising though, given what you're going through. May I enquire about your vision? Have you seen any marked improvements? Or any changes at all?"

I squinted across the plane and managed to read one of the small printed signs, but that wasn't unusual. My vision had always been fine. I certainly wasn't seeing anything I shouldn't have been able to.

"No – my vision is still exactly the same."

"What about your sense of smell? Can you detect any scents that weren't there before?" He urged. I inhaled deeply through my nose and my head snapped towards Edward, who was pacing the aisle with his hands clenched into fists by his sides.

"Washing detergent," I whispered, not taking my eyes off of him. "Lilac and honey..."

Edward slowed to a stop and turned to face me. "My scent," he murmured. "You're smelling my scent." His eyes turned unwillingly towards Carlisle and I watched as he read his adopted fathers thoughts.

"No!" He spat.

"Edward, if you are going to probe the confines of my mind, you are going to see things that you do not like. You cannot deny that my theory is likely. I do not know how or why, but Bella is displaying the symptoms of a newborn vampire."

"Her heart is _beating _Carlisle... and I certainly haven't bitten her!" He fumed.

"I didn't say that you had, Edward. But she _is_ experiencing bouts of rage – she has developed an unnatural speed and her hearing has improved. She was able to pinpoint every identifiable feature in your scent. You know as well as I do that vampires can smell their mates more strongly than anything else. It's our siren call."

"This is all irrelevant anyway. Bella hasn't been exposed to any venom," Edward murmured. I wanted to correct him when I realised that I _had_ been exposed to venom, but there was no way that he hadn't considered my idea. He had a vampire mind. He had probably considered every possibility and dismissed each one in less than a second. Jasper raised his eyebrow at me when he felt my uncertainty, but thankfully said nothing.

"What about James? Could it be an after effect from his venom?" Alice fretted.

"I sucked his venom out, Alice." Edward reasoned. "Besides, it was eighteen months ago."

"I think Bella has an idea," Jasper smiled encouragingly. The whole family turned to face me, but none of them looked very invested in my theory. Jasper sent me a wave of reassurance and I suddenly felt far more confident in voicing my opinion.

"Carlisle, is there venom in semen?" I hedged. My face probably resembled a tomato by now, but I had to ask.

"Well, yes – but the amount is infinitesimal. It wouldn't be enough to have this sort of effect on you." He answered kindly. The family turned away again, but I hadn't finished.

"But have you tested it?" I pressed.

"This may sound crude, but I observed a sample from a medical point of view just after my time in Volterra. There is next to no venom in semen, Bella."

"Next to none in _yours, _Carlisle." I reasoned. He raised his eyebrows and stepped a little closer to me with an intrigued expression on his face.

"Go on," he mused, as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Forgive me, but testing just _one_ sample doesn't give conclusive results at all. How do you know that it doesn't vary from vampire to vampire? Each human male carries a different sperm count. How do you know that vampires don't carry a different level of venom in their semen?" I asked awkwardly. It wasn't easy to contradict a doctor who had been studying medicine for two hundred years. Carlisle's eyes flickered frantically from side to side, as though he were reading an invisible book. Edward watched him with rapt attention as he read whatever thoughts were floating through his mind.

"Honestly, I can't disagree with your suggestion, Bella. I simply do not know either way. I shall have to run some more tests when we reach our destination," he smiled. "Until then, may I suggest that you get some rest? There is a cabin through those doors behind you. It's going to be a long flight."

I smiled and thanked him before walking away from the family. I don't know how he knew, but I was desperate to get away from everyone for a while. This was a massive amount of information to receive in one go. I needed time to process it. I lay my head down on the soft bed and let the gentle turbulence lull me to sleep. I could deal with this all later.

When I opened my eyes again, it was still light outside. We were still in the air and I wondered idly how long we had been flying. Edward was nowhere to be seen and I could only assume that he was with the rest of the family in the main part of the plane. I fumbled around in the darkness and managed to find the door. As soon as I was out of the bedroom, Emmett descended.

"Good morning little monster!" Emmett cheered at me.

"Shut up, Emmett," I growled. "I'm not a monster!"

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of her cage this morning, eh?" He teased.

"If I throw a stick, will you leave?" I hissed. I took a seat next to Esme, who pulled my feet into her lap gently.

"Emmett, behave." She scolded. I stuck my tongue out at him for good measure before burying my face into Esme's shoulder.

"Aw, I'm only messing with you Belly. You know I would run to the end of the Earth for you." He insisted.

"Would you stay there?" I grumbled. I felt someone slip a warm blanket over me and I sighed as I snuggled in closer to Esme.

"Don't worry about him, Bella." Alice said from the other side of the plane. "Some babies were dropped on their head by their mothers."

"Emmett must have been thrown at a wall repeatedly then," I griped. I could hear Jasper and Mr. Masen trying to muffle their laughter, but I wasn't particularly in the mood for giggles, so I ignored them.

"Do we know what's happening to me yet?" I whispered to everyone in general.

"No love," Edward murmured as he crouched at my feet. His fingers left a blazing trail of fire as he stroked rhythmic patters along my right arm. "Carlisle is going to find out – but I _swear_ that I wont let anything happen to you – okay?" His solemn promise eradicated any remaining fear that I had been harbouring. Of course he would keep me safe. He _loved_ me.

"M-kay," I managed to garble through a yawn.

"I don't see the point in running all these tests anyway," Emmett goaded. "It's what you all wanted anyway, right? To turn Bella into a vampire? So just let it run its course. What will be will be. Ignorance is bliss and all that."

"You must be the happiest vampire in existence then, Emmett," I grouched. "... and to think that _you_ were the fastest sperm. Were your parents siblings Emmett?"

Jasper finally lost his battle and burst out laughing, projecting his mirth onto the rest of the plane in the process. I spent the next five minutes rolling around laughing in my seat. Every time we managed to get our chuckles under control, someone would slip up again and poor Jasper would end up projecting it once more. It was a repetitive cycle.

"Stop!" I begged. "I'm human! All this laughter is making me need to pee!"

"You're not human, Belly," Emmett yelled over the raucous. "You're our little monster!"

Well _that_ stopped my laughter abruptly. Before I had even made a conscious decision, I was out of my seat and flying towards Emmett. Alice saw me first and pushed me sideways - away from Emmett. I flew through the cramped cabin and crashed against one of the seats in the row behind mine. My arm slashed against something sharp and I felt the blood begin to flow from my wound as I fell. I somehow managed to land on my feet and immediately spun to face my nine very stunned vampires.

No one was laughing now.

My eyes fell to my arm, which was bleeding profusely.

_Not again. Please not again._

I sank into a crouch, ready to defend myself, but no one tried to attack me. Everyone was watching me with expressions ranging from fear to wonder.

"Would you look at that..." Emmett breathed in awe. I followed his line of sight and gasped when I saw my arm. The gaping wound, which was barely even stinging now, was slowly closing all by itself. The skin patched itself together until there was nothing there but a faint pink line. The scar looks weeks old already...

_What is happening to me? _

* * *

**AN: Okay - so like I said, I think I'm going to lose a lot of readers in this chapter. A lot of you have been asking me if I am going to throw in a hybrid baby in this story - honestly, I'm not sure yet, but I wanted to be clear that Bella is NOT pregnant yet (hence the weird conversation about contraceptives with Carlisle.) I've had so many brilliant suggestions for this story, but this is the way I've decided to go. If I do put in a hybrid baby, it wont be Renesmee, because it's too late for her conception. In breaking dawn, she would have been conceived on their honeymoon, which obviously hasn't taken place in my story. **

**Anyway, THANKS FOR READING and I'll put up the next chapter as soon as I can. I wont make any promises for dates because I can't count on my parents not reading everything I type over my shoulder *rolls eyes*but it will be in the next few days. If you have any questions, let me know. I'm going to spend a few hours replying to some of your reviews and PM's (which I am SO grateful for).**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: Good morning all! Such lovely responses last night! It really made me smile to know that so many of you were going to stick with the story. I realise that it's impossible to write a story that everyone will like, so I'm going to just stick to my original plot and hope you enjoy it!  
**

* * *

_RECAP: _

"_Stop!" I begged. "I'm human! All this laughter is making me need to pee!"_

"_You're not human, Belly," Emmett yelled over the raucous. "You're our little monster!" _

_Well that stopped my laughter abruptly. Before I had even made a conscious decision, I was out of my seat and flying towards Emmett. Alice saw me first and pushed me sideways - away from Emmett. I flew through the cramped cabin and crashed against one of the seats in the row behind mine. My arm slashed against something sharp and I felt the blood begin to flow from my wound as I fell. I somehow managed to land on my feet and immediately spun to face my nine very stunned vampires. _

_No one was laughing now._

_My eyes fell to my arm, which was bleeding profusely._

_Not again. Please not again._

_I sank into a crouch, ready to defend myself, but no one tried to attack me. Everyone was watching me with expressions ranging from fear to wonder. _

"_Would you look at that..." Emmett breathed in awe. I followed his line of sight and gasped when I saw my arm. The gaping wound, which was barely even stinging now, was slowly closing all by itself. The skin patched itself together until there was nothing there but a faint pink line. The scar looks weeks old already..._

_What is happening to me? _

* * *

After several seconds of absolute stillness, the whole family raced into action. Jasper and Alice dashed to the cock pit to silence whatever was making that irritating beeping sound; Rosalie and Emmett ran to get me a change of clothes and I was very suddenly assaulted by Esme and Elizabeth, who were frantically hugging any part of me that they could reach.

"Bella, are you okay?" Elizabeth gushed as she ran her hands over my bloodied arm.

"Does it hurt, sweetheart?" Esme urged. I shook my head at them both and felt my whole body succumb to a fit of shivers as I realised what had just happened.

"I'm okay," I stammered. "Just a little sh-shaken up."

"Of course you're not okay, sweet girl," Elizabeth crooned. "Come on darling, come and sit down."

I allowed her to lead me to one of the other seats and I tried not to look at the chair that I had broken as I had flown through the air. My eyes sought it anyway, though... call it morbid curiosity. All that was left was a twisted scrap of metal that was absolutely saturated in my blood. I had done _that?_

"Don't look at it, sweetheart," Esme murmured. "We know all about your aversion to blood." I inhaled deeply through my nose and scrunched my eyes closed when I realised that I wasn't bothered by the smell at all. Normally, a drop of blood was enough to make me nauseous – and this was a _lot_ more than a drop of blood.

"Can you smell it, Bella?" Edward whispered from across the plane. When my eyes met his, I realised that he hadn't moved an inch since I had sank into a crouch, ready to defend myself. He walked towards me slowly..._._ He _stalked_ towards me. "Can you smell the blood, Bella?"

"Y-yes." I whispered, "I can smell it."

"...and?" He urged as he took each slow, sinuous step.

"I don't feel dizzy."

"Anything else?" He murmured seductively through his cold, marble lips.

"No, Edward." I insisted sternly. I could see where this was heading – his eyes were _so_ dark. My blood was difficult for him to be around at the best of times, but when it was actually spilled_..._ and in such a confined space. _Shit! _The rest of the family were all converging around us, ready to act if Edward didn't get his thirst under control soon.

"You don't think that it smells... _tantalizing?_" He whispered as he inhaled deeply. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he let out a tiny moan. "So enticing... it torments me, Bella."

Esme and Elizabeth sank into simultaneous crouches in front of me and Edward turned his attention to them instead. His menacing growl should have terrified me, but I actually found it to be a little exasperating. It wasn't his fault – of _course_ it wasn't. I just couldn't help but wish that we could be _past_ this already. I longed for the day when Edward would be able to comfort me when I was injured. I snapped my head back towards Edward and issued my own terse hiss. His attention immediately fell onto me and I was the lucky recipient of a cold, detached leer.

"Edward Cullen you need to get a grip," I spat. "You are about to attack your _mother_ for fuck sake! Both of them!"

His cheek lifted into a one sided smirk and I rolled my eyes at the hyperbole. "Jasper? Can you send Edward a wave of emotion for me?" I asked without turning my head away from my mate.

"Er... sure thing Bells. Anything particular in mind?"

Edward was full on grinning now as he sank into his own crouch. We literally had moments before he launched himself at me.

"Remind him how he felt the last time we were separated," I whispered through my own innocent smile. "Send him a wave of his own heartbreak. Show him what he'll feel if he kills me."

I knew the moment Jasper had done as I asked. Edward's smirk slipped from his face and he clawed at his immobile heart frantically. His brow furrowed and he raised his free hand out towards me – reaching for me.

"B-Bella... _please_." His desperate stammer had me running to him at immense speed, allowing him to pull me into his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He pressed tiny kisses all over my face as his hands examined every inch of me. "I am so fucking sorry, love."

"I know," I murmured into his neck.

"The sooner she's changed, the better," Emmett grumbled. He passed me a set of clean clothes and I wrenched myself from Edward's grasp and raced into the bedroom. My hands shook from all of the pent up adrenaline and I literally couldn't get my blood soaked clothes off my tired frame.

"Bella, love? Can I come in?"

"Edward, I'm covered in blood," I reasoned as I pulled my shoes off my feet with very little grace. Each one landed on the floor with a dull thud.

"I'm in control now, sweetheart – I promise. _Please_... I just want to make sure that you're okay."

I unlocked the door and Edward walked in silently. He held his hands up in surrender and slowly moved towards me. His movements were so gentle, it looked as though he was terrified that I would bolt at any moment. I offered him a small smile and he sighed in relief. His hands closed over my own shaking fingers, stilling their movements completely.

"Let me do it, Bella. Please." I gave him a shaky nod and he very gently tore my clothes from my body. He walked into the small bathroom and emerged with a damp wash cloth. His movements were disciplined and regimented as he cleaned me. I hadn't seen him take a breath since he entered the room. He helped me into a pair of shorts and a vest and I crossed my fingers when he took in a small breath.

"We'll be landing soon," he whispered. He still wasn't meeting my eyes and I loathed the fact that this would always come between us. My blood would _always_ come between us.

"Where are we going?" I murmured as I ran my fingers through his hair. He purred gently and slipped a pair of wedges onto my feet.

"We we're supposed to be going to France, but after everything that's happened, we've altered our plans slightly. We refuelled in Spain while you were sleeping and changed our heading."

I raised my eyebrows at him and he sighed before pulling me into his lap. "Bella, when you took me back – when you welcomed me into your life again without a second thought, I swore that I wouldn't make the same mistakes twice... so I'm going to be completely honest with you. I don't want to scare you, but I wont withhold information from you again. We're going to do this together, okay?"

"Together," I repeated. I slipped my hands into his and gripped them tightly – silently giving him my support.

"I wanted to take you to France. I was going to do all of the cheesy tourist things. I wanted you to go to the top of the Eiffel tower at nightfall and visit the Louvre. We were going to stay in Rosalie's apartment in Paris and drink coffee at a street-corner cafe..."

"But..." I hedged.

"Bella – we can't do any of those things. Not yet, anyway. After everything we've seen today, we think that it might be a wise idea to keep you away from the general populace until we know what's going on. Right now you're only displaying a few newborn vampire tendencies... but they came on so _suddenly. _We're concerned that you're slowly changing, sweetheart. You're becoming more and more like _my_ kind – and Bella if that happens suddenly, in a place surrounded by humans, we'll all be in very big trouble."

"You're talking about blood," I whispered. "You're worried that I might suddenly start craving blood."

He nodded gently, assessing my reaction. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as I considered everything that he had said.

"We don't know for certain that you're _not_ already craving it. We haven't been near a human in _hours_, love. If it comes on as suddenly as your other symptoms, we wont know about it until it's too late - and that's not a risk I'm willing to take. We don't want you to think that we're making decisions for you, though. If you're unhappy with this arrangement we can think of something-"

"No, Edward," I interrupted. "You're right – we need to know what's going on before we unleash me onto the oblivious public. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I know you don't, sweet girl – and I wont let you hurt anyone. But in order for me to make that promise, I'm going to need you to trust me, okay? I need to take you somewhere secluded where Carlisle can run some tests in private."

"Where?" I mouthed, silently.

"We're about to land in Rio de Janeiro-"

"Edward, Rio is _full_ of people!" I exclaimed in a panic. My heart began to thunder in my chest traitorously and Edward scrambled to clam me down.

"I know baby, but we're not going to be staying there. We're just passing through. We own an island near here... or _Esme_ owns an island. It's completely secluded, love. We'll be taking you by car to the dock, where we have a private boat waiting for us. I wont allow you to hurt any humans, love – I promise."

"Edward – we're about to land. Hold onto Bella!" That was all the warning we got before the plane dropped a few hundred feet. My stomach flew into my mouth as Alice made our final descent into Rio. Edward stood up and carried me into the main section of the plane with no difficulty at all. As soon as the wheels hit the tarmac, Emmett gathered our bags and slung them onto his shoulder. All twenty of them.

"Bella?" Edward called, bringing my attention back to him. "There is a car waiting for us on the runway and Esme is going to get the keys off the driver. He's human, love – so I'm going to need you to hold your breath for me now. Can you do that for me?"

I nodded and took a deep breath- holding the uncomfortable amount of air in my lungs. As soon as my lips were closed, Esme opened the door to the plane and flew outside to greet the driver. She spoke in rapid Portuguese and I concentrated on _that_ rather than the urge to breathe.

"He's gone," Edward murmured. We were moving as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Less than ten seconds later, I was placed into the back seat of a luxury car and Carlisle had the engine running. We pulled away from the plane and Edward locked the car doors. Holding my breath was becoming painful now.

"Bella, your heart rate is beginning to slow. You'll need to take a breath, but please try to breathe through your mouth – _not_ your nose," Carlisle instructed. Jasper, Emmett and Edward all held onto me and I took in a small, shaky breath. The moment the air hit my lungs, my throat began to burn, uncomfortably. I couldn't smell the scent that was causing my throat to swell in flames, but I knew _exactly _what I needed to make it stop hurting.

"Shit – hold her!" Jasper rasped. "She's feeling blood lust!"

My head snapped to the right and I looked out of the car window – frantically trying to see the retreating figure of the man who had supplied our car. As soon as I saw him, my willpower was lost. I took another deep breath through my _nose_ this time, and growled loudly when I smelled his scent. Every single fibre of this car was saturated in his mouth-watering aroma.

"Fuck! She's going to bolt. Pin her down!" Jasper rasped. A small part of me registered the fact that I was _hurting_ poor Jasper by not controlling this insane thirst. He felt everything that I did... but it was a _very_ small part compared to the desire that was coursing through me. Emmett pushed my face into Edward's neck, forcing me to inhale my mates incredible scent, instead.

"Don't let her go, Edward," Mr. Masen insisted from the front seat. "She'll never forgive herself."

"Bella – love?" Edward whispered desperately into my ear. "Bella you need to listen to my voice, sweetheart. Just concentrate on me for a minute, okay?"

"Carlisle, get us the fuck out of here!" Emmett yelled as he held onto my legs. I was kicking and punching anything in sight in my frantic attempt to get away from my guards.

"Argh! Fuck!"

"It's okay – just keep hold of her. She's not a strong as we are." Jasper spat through clenched teeth. "She's stronger than a human, but not as strong as us!"

"Explain that to the aching testicles she just kicked," Emmett wheezed. "I think they've crawled back inside me to die."

"BELLA!" Edward bellowed, sternly. My flailing limbs fell limply to my side as I looked at my mate. His expression was determined, but he looked like he would be crying if he could.

"He has a family, sweetheart," Edward whispered as he tucked my face into his neck again. I allowed him to this time... I felt _numb_. "He has a wife and a daughter. She's only three... her name is Clara." He prattled on for a full five minutes, telling me every insignificant detail that he had pulled from the mind of my prey.

_My prey..._

Son of a bitch. The reflection drained any remaining thoughts of blood lust from my mind and I slumped against Edward in defeat.

"That's it, baby girl," Jasper murmured. "You're doing just fine."

My eyes filled with tears and I pushed my face even further into Edward's neck, not wanting my new brothers to see my weakness.

"No, sweetheart," Edward whispered as he cradled my trembling frame. "No, no, no. You don't need to cry, love. You've done _so_ well, Bella." His arms formed a protective cage around me as I sobbed silently into his neck. No one spoke except for Edward, who was persistently murmuring soft words of love and encouragement into my ear. The car slowed to a gentle stop and my whole body froze as I realised that I was going to have to go outside again.

"It's okay, Belly. The girls ran on ahead and moved the boat out of the port. We're at a private jetty. There's no one here but us, okay?" Emmett whispered. Somewhere, deep in the confines of my brain, my mind registered how strange it was to hear Emmett being so sweet and _serious._ Nothing usually phased Emmett. This whole ordeal must have seriously shaken him up. I refused to let go of Edward as we got out of the car - I held onto his hand like it was a lifeline. It was when I met the concerned eyes of Esme, that I really broke down. She was pacing the deck of a luxurious boat that was moored less than ten feet from us. She stopped when she saw us and raced to my side.

"Give her to me, Edward," she insisted. Edward didn't refuse her, and I was swept into Esme's safe embrace as she led me onto the boat. She steered me into a large cabin that lay nestled under the main deck, and I relaxed slightly when I saw the rest of the women waiting for us below. Alice was the first to rush to my side.

"Bella, you were amazing!" She gushed. "We're so proud of you!"

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, not understanding how they know what had happened.

"We were running alongside the car, Bella," Elizabeth whispered. "We all heard how quickly you shook off that blood lust. You did incredibly well, my dear," she beamed. I nodded and sank onto one of the chairs that lay unused against the expensive marble counter. The boat chugged to life and I was relieved to know that we were sailing away from the main land. Edward had told me that we would be in complete seclusion out here. I would be able to _relax_ a little.

"I'm thirsty," I whispered.

"There will be animal to drink from on the Island, Bella," Esme smiled. "We've had it fully stocked with fresh livestock."

"I want a glass of water," I mused. Edward was by my side in an instant with a dubious look on his face.

"Bella? We don't... we don't _drink_ water." His hesitant speech had me giggling and I buried my face in my hands at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Don't just stand there, dumb ass. If the girl wants water, give her some water you oaf," Rosalie ordered from the corner of the room. She opened one of the many cupboards and pulled out a sealed bottle of water, before passing it to me. I took it greedily and tore the lid off. Everyone watched me in rapt attention and I drank the entire thing.

"Bella?" Edward questioned. "How – er, how did it... _taste?" _

"Like a bottle of water, Edward," I sighed. "It was _wet_... and... watery."

"What sort of vampire _are_ you, Bella?" Emmett boomed as he walked into the room. "You're supposed to be taking down _bears_, not sipping daintily from a bottle of _water_!"

"Emmett!" Esme warned. "She can drink whatever she likes."

"It's not right – that's all I'm saying. She's too _tame._"

Edward offered a growl and slipped his arm around my waist. "She's perfect. Leave her alone."

"Argh, lay of the kissy kissy for five minutes, would you? No one needs to see that, dude."

I giggled at the normalcy of it all. Less than twenty minutes ago, I had been clawing at these people in a desperate attempt to kill a man for his delicious blood – yet now, they were standing here, ribbing each other as though it was an every day occurrence. Maybe it _was?_ How the hell was I supposed to know? Edward had always concealed this part of himself from me.

"Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen and strange little hybrids!" Jasper's drawl came across an intercom from a side panel on the wall. "This is your captain speaking. We are currently en route for our final destination. At our present course and rate, we should be arriving at the Island in ten minutes. However, after careful consideration, we've decided to scrap all that and gun it. Time to get the hell out of dodge! So, please grab hold of our favourite little human and hang on tight!" The words had barely left his lips before they revved the massive engine and the boat shot forward. I jumped up from my seat and raced towards the steps that led out of the cabin.

"Bella? Where are you going?" Alice trilled as she skipped after me.

"Onto the main deck! I want to see how fast we're going!" I shrieked excitedly. Part of my mind registered the fact that my mood was changing every so quickly that it was dizzying. Then I recalled what Edward had once told me.

_'My kind are easily distracted, Bella.'_

Jeez, he was kidding! Alice linked her small arm through my own and we raced upstairs. As soon as we were out in the fresh air, I slapped my hands over my eyes. _Damn!_ Carlisle, Jasper and Mr. Masen were covered in millions of tiny little diamonds - sparkling far brighter than I had ever seen happen in Forks. "Edward?" I hollered back into the cabin. "Did we bring any sunglasses?"

He emerged a second later and pulled his own aviators off his face, handing them to me. "Here you are, love. Too bright?"

I glanced back at the men and laughed. "Just trying to lessen the solar flare-glare that's radiating off your skin."

Emmett let out a huge guffaw and sidled over to us. "You've seen our skin in the sunlight before, though," he stated in confusion.

"I have," I confirmed. "You just all seem to been sparkling a little brighter in Rio compared to Forks."

"Sparkle?" Emmett groaned. "_Sparkle? _Edward, did your woman just accuse me of _sparkling?_"

"Like a little girl wearing body glitter," I grinned. "Don't look so sad, Emmett. It's _ cute!"_

"Oh, see I _know_ that you didn't just call this fine specimen of muscle and strength, 'cute!'" Emmett despaired. "Bella, you realise that we can bench-press _cars_, right?"

"...and you'll all look very pretty while you do it." I grinned, evilly. Emmett stormed towards me, but Alice stepped in between us.

"This is your captain speaking," Jasper drawled once more. "The staff on Cullen Cruises would like to politely remind you exactly how much paperwork is involved when you commit murder on international waters – not to mention the fact that no one wants to deal with Emoward. So, please ignore the gentle ribbing of your nineteen year old sister and take it like a man, _Emmett,_" Jasper coughed through a grin. Emmett grumbled under his breath and I snickered at him.

"Why so sullen, my pretty little Cullen?" My smile slipped from my lips when he bared his teeth menacingly.

"Run..." he growled. I let out a small squeak and raced away from the bridge. I laughed as I heard him chasing me across the deck of the immense boat. His thundering footsteps were similar to an earthquake – at least a six on the Richter scale.

"Jesus, Emmett!" I shrieked as I ran. "I thought you were supposed to be _stealthy!_ You're like a blind, two legged elephant! Nuclear missiles attack more subtly than you do!"

I could hear the cheers from the rest of the family as they watched us weave around the boat. When I ran out of deck, I turned around, leaping over a very surprised Emmett as I passed.

"Holy shit, Belly. What the fuck _are_ you?" He chortled as he chased me. We both climbed onto the roof of the cabin at the same time and I grimaced when I realised that I had boxed myself in by coming up here. I had nothing but ocean on three sides of me – the only other way was to go past Emmett.

"Nowhere to run now, little sister," he grinned. I knew that he was only teasing me, but I was completely overwhelmed by all of my new instincts. My mind was rapidly trying to find an escape route where there was none. My eyes darted over Emmett's shoulder and he turned to see what I was looking at. As soon as he had his back to me, I launched myself from the boat and dived straight into the warm water. My head broke the surface and I met the amused expressions of the family, who had watched the entire thing from the deck.

"Coming aboard?" Edward smiled as he offered me his hand. I took it and smiled at him sweetly, before yanking on it as hard as I could. He let out a small yelp as he fell into the water and I shrieked in triumph. I had moved a _vampire! _Edward surfaced a few seconds later and wore an amused expression on his face.

"I can't believe that you just did that!" He exclaimed. He wrapped my legs around his waist and held my face in between his hands as we floated through the water. "I love that you _can_ do that..."

Carlisle gingerly extended his hand to help me back onto the boat and I giggled when I saw him brace his feet to prevent me from pulling _him_ into the water, too.

"Right, now that we're all back on board, I am happy to announce that we shall be arriving at the Island within the next ninety seconds... so if you could all refrain from any further murder attempts, we would truly appreciate it," Jasper grinned. Alice passed me a towel and I roughly ran it through my hair. The sun was _so_ hot, that it wouldn't take long to dry it completely. The boat slowed as I draped the wet towel over one of the rails, and Edward span me around on the spot.

"There," he breathed, pointing towards the east. I squinted my eyes against the harsh glare of the sun that was reflecting off the sea at every angle and tired to find what he was pointing at. My breath caught in my chest when I saw it, though. A beautiful mansion lay nestled securely on a large, secluded Island. It looked so much like the Fork's house, that my heart clenched slightly at the sight of it.

"Welcome to Isle Esme, Bella," he whispered.

* * *

**AN: There you have it. Poor Bella must be so confused! Next chapter, Carlisle will be trying to find out what's going on - but also some family fun on the Island! I'd give anything to be on a secluded Island right now. Sun, sea and sand. Instead, I'm going to do some ironing and clean the bathroom. Such a romantic life I lead... next update will be posted asap. Enjoy the nice weather! (",)**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: I want to apologise to those of you who have asked questions and haven't received a response yet. I'm working my way through each message and review, but I don't have a lot of free time. Every spare second I get, I'm updating the story and working on another one that I'm writing... but I will get around to replying to you, so THANK YOU for being so patient! **

**SPOILERS! THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH WILL CONTAIN DETAILS OF THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS, SO PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!**** (Skip down to the page break for the start of the chapter.)**

**I've received quite a lot of PM's from people who are upset about where this story is going... and I'm sorry about that. A lot of people seem to have assumed that Bella is going to be a vampire from now on and that they will be staying on Isle Esme for the rest of the story. I'm not going to give the entire plot away, but everything that's happening is relevant to the plot and Bella WILL get to travel for the next year. But this part of the story HAS to happen in order for the rest of it to make any sense.**

**Thank you for the massive response to the last few chapters! Firstly, I want to apologise for all of the typos in the last chapter. When I read it back this morning, I was actually a little embarrassed! The problem is, that I'm whacking these chapters out in very little time and I'm making mistakes – so I'm sorry for that. I'll try harder, I promise! But thank you for not pointing it out. You were all more than entitled to. It was really poorly written in some places... *blush* Oops... my bad!**

**Lastly, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed or PM'd me. Some people like what I'm doing, some people don't, but thank you for taking the time to give me some feedback either way. I've had some really helpful advice and ideas on here and I appreciate it. **

**Sorry for the long note – it was the only way I could answer the majority of concerns. If you're sticking with me, here's the next chapter. If not, thanks for giving it a go! **

* * *

_RECAP:_

_Carlisle gingerly extended his hand to help me back onto the boat and I giggled when I saw him brace his feet to prevent me from pulling him into the water._

"_Right, now that we're all back on board, I am happy to announce that we shall be arriving at the Island within the next ninety seconds... so if you could all refrain from any further murder attempts, we would truly appreciate it," Jasper grinned. Alice passed me a towel and I roughly ran it through my hair. The sun was so hot, that it wouldn't take long to dry it completely. The boat slowed and Edward spun me around on the spot._

"_There," he breathed, pointing towards the east. I squinted my eyes against the harsh glare of the sun that was reflecting off the sea at every angle and tired to find what he was pointing at. My breath caught in my chest when I saw it, though. A beautiful mansion lay nestled securely on a large, secluded Island. It looked so much like the Fork's house, that my heart clenched slightly at the sight of it. _

"_Welcome to Isle Esme, Bella," he whispered. _

* * *

MSV

I slipped off my sandals and padded across the sand barefoot. The heat was searing through my skin like acid, but I couldn't bring myself to complain. I was literally in paradise right now and not even third degree burns on the soles of my feet would bring me down from my high. I sank down into the sand and enjoyed a few moments of solitude. The rest of the family had gone on ahead to organise the house for our stay on the island, while I had opted to stay on the beach. After hours of travelling, I wanted to feel the sun on my skin and the wind on my face. Pure bliss...

My mind strayed back to memories of my last birthday and I clenched my fists in the sand as I recalled each devastating moment. The whole thing had been a complete shamble from start to finish. I had _begged_ Alice to let it slide. I had _pleaded_ with her to let the day go by unnoticed like I wanted – but she was having none of it.

I managed a small smile as I recalled how worried I had been about ageing back then. I had been so concerned that I would wake up on the day of my eighteenth with grey hair and wrinkles. It seemed silly, now. Technically, I was two years older than Edward, but I thought that I looked better now than I had when we first met. I had lost the soft roundness that had dominated my face... or puppy fat, as Renee frequently called it. My hips had rounded and I finally had some cleavage to speak of. I was taller, my hair was longer - I just looked... _healthier_. I could still easily pass for a high-school student if I needed to, but I could probably get a job too, if I wore certain clothing and styled my hair and make-up in the right way. I would have more options now than I did last year. I wasn't a child any more.

Then there was the actual party, which was _ awkward_ at best – mainly because of my firm reluctance to let anyone have any fun. I had complained about everything from the presents to the cake. My face flamed as I recalled how polite the Cullen's had been, even when I had been so _rude._ They had gone to so much trouble to organise a beautiful evening for me, and I had thrown all of their efforts back at them without so much as a thank you.

I felt the small tremors of the soft, delicate steps belonging to Alice as she skipped along the beach in my direction. We didn't acknowledge each other verbally as she took a seat in the sand next to me - I simply lay my head on her shoulder and let my thoughts consume me as I sat in silence with my friend.

"Can you believe it's been a year since that night?" Alice whispered.

I suppressed a chuckle and shook my head. It was silly of me to think that my vampires, with their perfect recall, could _ever_ forget my birthday. "It's strange," I whispered. "At times, it feels like a decade ago, but then-"

"It also feels like yesterday," she finished in a whisper. "We didn't forget, Bella," Alice whispered sombrely. "I don't want you to think that we didn't remember. I wanted to organise something small, but Edward-"

"Knows that I wouldn't want that," I finished for her tiredly. I chanced a glance at the house and saw Edward, but he was firmly staring out of the huge glass doors that overlooked the sea. His expression was dark and brooding. He looked exactly how I felt whenever I recalled my disastrous eighteenth birthday.

"We have some gifts for you, Bella – but there's no party." Her words were a statement, not a question. She was finally acknowledging my wishes from last year and surrendering without a fight. There was no guilt or sadness on her face – she really just wanted me to be happy. I thought about her soft comment and sighed. For Alice to pass over the chance to have a party, she must be harbouring her own sadness after last year. Maybe this was something we _needed_ to do. We needed to make new memories, to replace the ones we created last year.

"Thank you for the gifts, Alice," I smiled. It was the least I could say after my ungratefulness last year. "Maybe we _could_ have a small party tonight?" I offered. Her head snapped up in surprise and a massive smile covered her tiny face.

"We can?" She bounced. "Oh but we don't have a cake!"

I lost her then. She stood up and wandered off towards the house, muttering plans as she went. She stopped long enough to press a kiss to Jasper's cheek, before carrying on with her tirade. Jasper took Alice's place by my side and stretched out in the sand. His skin glistened beautifully in the sunlight.

"I couldn't help but overhear your plans for tonight," he drawled. "Alice is in her element. I wish that you could feel what I feel sometimes..."

"Seeing her happy makes me happy," I agreed. "It might do us all some good to shake off the memories of the last party we had."

"I agree," he nodded. He passed me a small, brown package and sat back on his knees. "This isn't your birthday present, but I thought that they would be useful for later on."

I tore open the paper and frowned in confusion. "Jasper, they're beautiful – thank you... but I don't think I'll get a chance to wear them on the island. It's like a hundred degrees out here," I grinned. I thumbed the expensive scarf and gloves happily. They really were very beautiful.

"Oh these aren't to protect you from the cold," he grinned. "They're for when you open your presents later on. The gloves should stop you from getting any paper cuts... and the scarf will keep our eyes away from your neck if they don't."

I heard the family laughing from inside the house as Jasper ran away up the beach, chuckling as he went. I stood up too and brushed the sand off my legs before following him. Alice was happy - now I just needed to wipe the forlorn expression off Edward's face, too. He pulled open the huge glass door when he saw me coming, but otherwise didn't move from his tense position.

"You're having a party?" He asked, sarcastically. "Of your own volition?"

"I am," I confirmed with a small smile. "Apparently, there's going to be cake and everything."

"There is!" Alice yelled from somewhere in the house. "...and it's going to he _huge_! You can't even tell me off, Edward! Bella gave me her _permission!_ So suck it!"

I broke out into a fit of giggles as I watched Edward roll his eyes at her through the ceiling. "This is what you want?" He confirmed. "You want this party? Because if you don't, I'll put a stop to it right this second." His expression was unbelievably serious and strained as his eyes scanned every inch of my face. "I mean it, Bella. Just say the word."

"I want this party, Edward. I asked Alice to arrange one," I smiled. He didn't seem completely convinced, but he relaxed a little as his hands cupped my face.

"So, does this mean that I am allowed to mention the super-secret, forbidden, prohibited taboo?" He smirked. I rolled my eyes at him, but nodded.

"Well, in that case," he murmured against my lips, "Happy Birthday, my love." His lips pressed against mine _so_ softly, for just the briefest of moments. "One," he whispered. I was going to ask him what he meant, but his lips found mine again. "Two."

Shit... was he going to count all the way up to nineteen? He backed me up against the wall and my breath caught in my chest. "Three," he murmured. He grabbed both of my hands in one of his own and pinned them firmly against the wall above my head. His tongue gently pressed against my lower lip and I surrendered to his kiss with a groan. "Four." He pushed his hips against mine and I couldn't suppress the shiver of pure _want_ that raced through me. I tried to free my hands so that I could touch him, but he wouldn't let me go. "Uh-uh_... five_."

"Edward... please," I begged unashamedly. I needed him to kiss me properly. I couldn't bear all this teasing.

"Yeah, Edward!" Emmett yelled as he ran over to us. "Listen to the girl. You're doing this all wrong!"

He grabbed me from Edward's grasp and raced me back onto the beach. "This is how you do the birthday bumps!" He took hold of my arms as Jasper grabbed my feet. I didn't get a chance to protest before they launched me up into the air. "ONE!" They yelled in unison. I shrieked as I flew ten feet into the air before they caught me easily again.

"TWO!"

Again and again they propelled me towards the sky.

"NINETEEN!" My laughter stopped short when I realised that I wasn't flying upwards this time. I was flying sideways – _falling_ sideways. I opened my mouth to scream and ended up taking in a mouthful of water as I crashed unceremoniously into the sea. My head broke the surface and I spun around to find the very amused faces of the entire family.

"Alice, _please_ tell me that you caught that on camera?" Emmett howled.

"Every single second of it!" She giggled.

"You bastards!" I yelled as I trudged through the waist deep water towards the shore. "You're supposed to be _nice_ to the birthday girl!"

"That shit is only going to get funnier as she gets older. We get to do it _twenty_ times next year!" Emmett laughed as he high-fived Jasper.

"Emmett, when I'm immortal, I swear to _fuck_ that I'm going to shove my foot so far up your ass, that you'll be spewing Prada for eternity!" I growled.

"Very ladylike, Bella!" He winked. "Any other note-worthy speeches that we can capture on camera?"

"Listen to me you little whelp." I huffed as I rounded on him. "Unlike all of the other women in this family, I wasn't born at the ass end of the nineteenth century. While the women from _your_ era were darning their bloomers and balancing books on their heads, I was eating worms on the Rez and watching my father polish his guns... _all_ of them. You remember Charlie, don't you, Emmett? He was the chief of police? I could kill you and make it look like an accident. You would do well to remember that."

"Okay, Children," Esme giggled. "Play nicely."

I sniffed in annoyance, but didn't argue with her. I don't think it's possible to disagree with something that Esme says.

"Carlisle is back anyway," Edward muttered as he walked towards the small jetty.

"Where did Carlisle go?" I asked in confusion. I hadn't even noticed that he wasn't here.

"He went back to the mainland," Rosalie answered. "He's picking up some medical supplies so that he can run some tests on you."

I still found it strange when she spoke to me voluntarily – and she was actually _polite_ when she did it now. "Sounds fun," I murmured dryly.

"Bella?" Carlisle smiled. "Would you like a chance to explore the Island, or are you happy to get started on the tests?" His arms were laden with all sorts of boxes and gadgets, and I laughed at his eager grin. Honestly, the idea of submitting myself to a number of unknown tests sounded horrifying, but who was I to say no to an excited face like that? Besides, I _did_ want to know what the hell was wrong with me.

"Do your worst, Carlisle," I grinned.

"Excellent!" He smiled. He actually rubbed his hands together in excitement and I barely resisted the urge burst out laughing at him.

"You guys are welcome to go and explore the Island if you like. Surely there are better things to do than watch this?" I offered hopefully. The idea of being put through these tests was bad enough without Emmett watching on with his camera glued to his hands.

"No dear," Elizabeth smiled. "We wouldn't want you to go through this alone."

"Okay," Carlisle smiled. "At some point today, I will be running some blood tests, but they can only tell us so much, I'm afraid. What we need to do is test your reactions, Bella. Your blood wont tell us anything about _them_."

"How are we going to do that?" I asked.

"I've taken the liberty of setting up a few challenges for you. I will want to reassess you each day to see if anything changes, and I'll be recording all of the information so that we can go over it at our leisure."

"So what's first?"

"Edward said that you demonstrated 'inhuman' speed when you ran onto the plane, Bella. You then managed to evade Emmett on the boat, though I'm not sure if that was speed or cunning. I would like to see that for myself, if you would indulge me."

"Oh Jesus. Carlisle, I'll have someone's eye out. I'm not exactly known for my grace, balance and poise over here." I grumbled with a huff. "You just want me to run?" I confirmed, turning back to the stretch of sand in front of me.

"Yes – just run. But we will need to re-test this, so if you could _start_ a lap of the island, it would ensure accurate results. However, I would like something else to compare it to, so could someone else do a lap first, so that we know how long it should take for one of our kind?"

I groaned, knowing that I was going to fall over at some point. Still, at least the sand would be a soft landing for me. Edward stepped forwards, but Carlisle waved him back again. "Not you, son. You're the fastest in the family. It wouldn't be a fair portrayal of our speed seeing as none of us can keep up with you."

Jasper came over to stand next to me and sank into a crouch. He was off like a shot before disappearing from view as his blurred figure vanished around a bend in the island. I shrieked when he slung his arm over my shoulder less than ten seconds later.

"Nine point eight-seven seconds," Carlisle muttered. "Thank you, Jasper. Bella? In your own time," he gestured.

"Don't fall over Belly!" Emmett heckled from behind me. I hissed in his direction before returning my attention to Carlisle.

"How long should it take a human to run a lap of this Island, Carlisle?"

"About three years," Emmett quipped. "You have no idea how slowly your kind move! If you can call it moving..."

"Emmett?" I hissed. "Shut up, okay? Just shut up!"

"It depends entirely on the human in question, Bella. You can all run at different speeds and you can all run different distances. I imagine that only a trained athlete could run the length of this Island without taking a break. It would take several hours to complete at any rate. Please don't be disheartened if you cannot do it either. I'm not expecting you to be able to."

I nodded and turned back towards the beach. I might not be able to finish the lap, but I could certainly give it a go. I might even be able to help Carlisle work out how fast I can run while I'm at it.

"Want some company on your run, Bella? The livestock on the Island are contained, but there's no point in taking any unnecessary chances." Jasper offered.

"Thanks, Jasper," I smiled. I was enjoying this new side to him. He had been so distant in Forks, I had barely known him. Hell, I _still_ barely knew him, but at least he was making an effort.

"When you're ready," he grinned. I shot him a quick smile before launching myself away from him. I wasn't sure how fast I was running, but the trees _did_ seem to be racing past me much faster than they usually did. Jasper caught up with me easily, but was grinning madly as he ran alongside me.

"You're really moving, Bella," he smiled as we rounded the fifth corner. "Definitely faster than a human."

I didn't answer his statement because I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about it. I didn't particularly _want_ to be a vampire - I just didn't want to be separated from Edward. It wasn't supposed to be happening yet, either. Being older than Edward wasn't something I was worried about any more. I had been looking forward to my final human year. If I was completely honest, I was a little bit disappointed by how the choice had been taken away from us.

"I can feel your uncertainty, Bella. You know that there's nothing to be afraid of, right? You know that we wont let anything happen to you," he murmured.

"I know that, Jasper," I insisted. "Really I do."

"But..." he hedged.

"I wanted that final human year. I wanted to repair some of the cracks in my relationship with Edward before anything else was thrown at us. We've been through so much together, and in such a short time... and then, we went through so much _apart _from each other, too. I just wanted to make sure that we were okay before we tackled the next big thing," I admitted honestly.

He fell silent as we ran. I wasn't sure if he had nothing to say, or if he was digesting my quiet admission. I was starting to wonder if I had overstepped some invisible line by talking so openly about my relationship with Edward. After all, Jasper and I didn't know each other very well.

"I can see what Alice meant about you, Bella," he mused, pulling me from my thoughts. "You are very pleasant to be around... I know that we haven't had the chance to get to know each other, and I can feel the uncertainty rolling off you in waves every time you're near me – but I feel like I've known you for years, Bella. Alice, she talks about you all the time... and I'm starting to see _why."_

"I don't understand," I admitted honestly.

"Most humans revere us, Bella - or fear us. They are either jealous of us, or terrified. There isn't a happy medium. Until we met _you_. I'm ashamed to say that when Alice first started having visions about you, I wasn't exactly happy with the idea. She was so excited about the prospect of having a friend_ – _someone who wasn't tied to her because of immortality. She told me that you would love her just for being _her._ She told me that you would accept her nature – our nature, completely. That you would _chose_ to be in our lives. _What_ we are would be irrelevant. You would love us for _who _we are."

The heat was thrashing down onto me and I side stepped into the shallows of the water as we ran, wanting something cool on my legs. Jasper followed and continued his observation.

"When I first met you, honestly, I resented you. I begrudged the fact that you had stumbled into our lives, risking our exposure. But then, you did something incredible."

"What?" I asked in disbelief. I had never done anything 'incredible' in my entire life!

"Have a little confidence, Bells," he chuckled. "I was actually referring to Edward's emotions. From the moment he met you, his entire make-up changed. For fifty years, it was almost unbearable to be around him. He was so withdrawn and depressed. At times, it was more than I could bear. But then you came along and changed him. I'll always be grateful for that."

"I'm glad that he is happy now," I whispered, shyly. Jasper shook his head at me and sent me a huge wave of confidence.

"But you also changed, Alice..."

"How? There was no way that _she_ was depressed. I don't think I've ever seen her without a grin and a bounce in her tiny step!" I laughed.

"No," he chuckled as he shook his head fondly. "No that's true, but you also gave her the one thing that I couldn't offer her. You gave her friendship. I'll always be there for Alice, for whatever she needs – but sometimes she doesn't want me. There are times when she wants _you_. I have no idea what you two talk about for so long, but she always comes back feeling refreshed? If that's the right word? Her emotions are much more settled. She's just...happier."

"She's my best friend," I admitted. "It was difficult... being away from her."

"She felt the same," he confirmed. "It was difficult to watch her go through that. I didn't know how to comfort her. I tired – but it wasn't me she wanted."

Now it was _his_ voice that sounded unsure. "Bella, I know that I've been terrible to you up until this point... and then on your birthday last year..."

"Don't, Jasper," I whispered. "It wasn't your fault. I told Alice to tell you that I didn't blame you."

"She told me. I just didn't believe it until I felt your emotions for myself."

"Well, you understand then? You understand that you can't help what happened any more than I could?"

He gave me a stiff nod and moved a little closer to me. "That doesn't stop me regretting it though, Bella. I truly am sorry for trying to hurt you last year... and if you would permit me, after everything that I've done, I would like to get to know you better, Bella. Maybe help you through your change? If that's what's happening?" He asked.

"I would like that," I admitted honestly. His smile widened as we raced around the final corner. The family were cheering us as we ran towards them and I gave it one final push as I reached Carlisle.

"Well?" I asked as I fell onto the floor.

"You ran the entire lap?" Carlisle confirmed. His expression seemed shocked and a little wary. That couldn't be good!

"She did," Jasper answered as he smiled at me. "Kept up a conversation the whole way round, too!"

Edward sank down on his knees in front of me as I caught my breath. "You haven't even broken a sweat, Bella," he breathed in amazement. "Your heart rate is elevated, but not as much as it should be."

"Eleven minutes, thirty-three seconds," Carlisle murmured.

"But - but you said that it would take _hours_ to run that distance, Carlisle!" I spluttered. "I thought that I would need to _rest_!"

"Well it would appear that something is definitely amiss, here," Carlisle observed. "Would you be willing to complete a few more little tests for me tomorrow? I imagine that you will need to rest and recuperate for now."

I stretched my legs out in front of me and felt an unfamiliar ache set in all over my body. It started at my toes and spread throughout each limb rapidly. My vision blurred slightly and I griped onto the floor to stop the world from spinning.

"Bella?" Edward asked in alarm.

"I don't feel so good," I mumbled almost incoherently.

"Okay, sweet girl," he crooned as he scooped me into his arms. "You're probably just tired. I've got you."

My forehead broke out in a sweat, but I felt as though it was _freezing_. "Edward? I really feel strange."

"Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what's hurting."

"Everything," I whispered. "Everything hurts." My entire frame began to shake and shudder viciously and I felt my eyes beginning to droop.

"Lay her on the sand, quickly, Edward," Carlisle instructed. "Jasper, grab my bag. _Go,_ Jasper!"

My muscles tensed up all over my body and I turned my head to the side, retching violently.

"Her temperature is through the roof. We need to get that blood sample! Everyone, either leave or hold your breath!" Carlisle yelled. It was so strange to hear him speak with anything other than a perfectly calm demeanour.

"Carlisle?" I groaned. I closed my eyes and felt my whole body beginning to shut down. I would have fought it, but the pain was too much. I didn't want to fight it. I wanted to sleep... Sleep and remain oblivious. So I did.

"Bella!"

* * *

**AN: Are you still with me? So, we're starting to get an idea that something isn't completely right with Bella. Her 'changing' is not necessarily a good thing... if that's even what's happening? Ha! I'm already writing the next chapter and I'll post it as soon as I can. Once again, thank you to everyone who has read, review and PM'd this story. **


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Hello everyone! I'm really sorry for the delay. I took my kids to the beach for a few weeks and there is literally no internet service near there. It's like being thrust into the Stone Age! So, with that in mind, I've faithfully taken my hammer and chiseled this chapter into my iStone. I'm home again now, so I'll be updating regularly again.  
**

**I really didn't want to post this chapter until I had another one to post straight away afterwards. I think that this chapter is going to raise more questions than the last one did, but a lot of you have asked for an update so I'm sticking it up and crossing my fingers. **

**P.S - This chapter is going to go from naught to sixty in two seconds flat, so hold onto your hats! **

* * *

_RECAP: _

_I stretched my legs out in front of me and felt an unfamiliar ache set in all over my body. It started at my toes and spread throughout each limb rapidly. My vision blurred slightly and I griped onto the floor to stop the world from spinning._

"_Bella?" Edward asked in alarm._

"_I don't feel so good," I mumbled almost incoherently. _

"_Okay, sweet girl," he crooned as he scooped me into his arms. "You're probably just tired. I've got you."_

_My forehead broke out in a sweat, but I felt as though it was freezing. "Edward? I really feel strange." _

"_Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what's hurting."_

"_Everything," I whispered. "Everything hurts." My entire frame began to shake and shudder viciously and I felt my eyes beginning to droop._

"_Lay her on the sand, quickly, Edward," Carlisle instructed. "Jasper, grab my bag. GO Jasper!"_

_My muscles tensed up all over my body and I turned my head to the side, retching violently. _

"_Her temperature is through the roof. We need to get that blood sample! Either leave or hold your breath!" Carlisle yelled. It was so strange to hear him speak with anything other than a perfectly calm demeanour._

"_Carlisle?" I groaned. I closed my eyes and felt my whole body beginning to shut down. I would have fought it, but the pain was too much. I didn't want to fight it. I wanted to sleep... Sleep and remain oblivious. So I did._

* * *

For several moments I remained perfectly still, simply lamenting the fact that I wasn't in any pain. I tentatively flexed my fingers and sighed peacefully when I didn't feel even a twinge of discomfort. A cold breeze blew across my face and I stiffened in surprise. After feeling the blazing sun on the Island, the bitter wind was actually welcome - but it wasn't in my nature to simply enjoy the sensation. My mind began to run a stream of theories as to where the breeze could have been coming from? I may have been outside, but we were in Rio - the wind here shouldn't be _cold_. Eventually, my curiosity won out and I opened my eyes.

I had expected to see the comforting sunlit beach belonging to Isle Esme, but instead my eyes were met with darkness. I squinted, trying to correct my blurred, shaky vision, but the sight before me didn't change, even though my eyes were beginning to adjust to the lack of natural light. My hands curled into fists as I attempted to push my exhausted body into a sitting position, and it was in that moment that I knew that something was seriously wrong. My hands should have been clutching onto warm sand, but instead they began to sink into something cold, slippery and _wet. _I groaned as my shoulders slumped back onto the cold ground in defeat. My head lolled to the side and I dizzily tried to analyse what I was seeing before me. My entire frame stiffened as I realised just how strange this was. Edward had always teased me for having no sense of self-preservation, but he had been mistaken in doing so. Something instinctive and primal inside me knew that this entire scene was completely wrong. It didn't matter _where_ I was – the fact of the matter was that I shouldn't have been here at all.

"Edward?" My shaky voice went unanswered, and that alone gave me the strength I needed to force myself into a sitting position. From this angle, I could finally make out some of the scenery near my surroundings. My mouth opened in a silent scream as I faintly began to recognise each familiar landmark. I shot to my feet, my weariness forgotten, as I coiled every muscle in my body, preparing for whatever was coming next. Frequent, rhythmic shivers began to pulse down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck raised as adrenaline began to coarse through me.

I had experienced so many strange things since I had been introduced to the supernatural world, but this was by far the most outlandish - because somehow, I had fainted on a beach in Rio de Janeiro, and woken up in Forks, Washington; The meadow….

A lone tear slipped down my cheek as I saw what was left of our secret hideaway. Even though it was summer, the temperature here was freezing. The tall grass and wild flowers obviously hadn't survived the unseasonable weather, and had wilted until there was nothing left but brown mulch underneath my feet. The thirty or so trees that had once formed a protective emerald wall around us, all seemed to have _died. _Each tree had shed its leaves and looked like something out of a child's nightmare. The limbs were dry and cracked, the branches hung at odd, crooked angles. The moon shone through the malnourished undergrowth, creating eerie shadows across our little nirvana.

I stumbled backwards, blindly. I had no set destination in mind, but I knew that I needed to be away from this place. This wasn't _my_ meadow. This was an awful replica of it – somewhere I never wanted to be again. I turned on my heel and was about to break out into a sprint, when something hit me in the chest – _hard._

"Come _on_, Bella!"

I gripped my chest and spun on the spot. I knew that voice – I would know it anywhere.

_Edward._

I scanned each tree and every shadow, but he was nowhere to be seen. I felt another forceful push on my chest and I sank to the floor under the pressure of it

"Damn it, Bella! Don't you dare give up on me!"

I slammed my hands over my ears as his furious voice boomed throughout the meadow. It wasn't coming from one particular place - he was above me, beside me – his voice was literally coming from every direction imaginable.

"Emmett, get that oxygen mask onto her! Edward, keep up the compressions!"

_Carlisle!_ I felt a sharp pinch on my arm and I hissed at the sensation. My eyes automatically darted down to look at the crease in my elbow, but there was nothing there. Not even a scratch.

"Come on, sweetheart. Just _breathe_..."

"That's definitely a pulse. Emmett, keep pushing the oxygen. We're not out of this yet..."

A mouthful of fresh air was forced into my lungs and I fought the urge to choke against the intrusion. Ice cold hands seemed to be grabbing me, manipulating my body as they saw fit. One swiped across my forehead, while another smoothed my hair back from my face. Even though I could hear Edward, I couldn't see him. I was seemingly alone in this barren version of our meadow, yet at the same time, I was surrounded by the people that I loved. If I was alone, how was I being touched? Icy fear seeped deep into my bones and it felt far colder than any of the hands that were grasping me. I recoiled from them in distrust and covered my ears to drown out the angry voice of my love.

"No, Bella! Fight it! You have to fight it!"

I shook my head in refusal and stood up as quickly as I could. Without even a backwards glance, I spun on my toes and raced out of the meadow into the forest. The further I ran, the quieter their voices became. The hands which had gripped me had long since let go, and finally I was alone once more. I ran until I literally couldn't take another step before falling onto my hands and knees in the dirt. My tears flowed freely down my face as the heavens opened and the torrential downpour that had been brewing, finally began to fall. Deafening crashes of thunder roared through the skies as I huddled under the sparse remnants of one of the endless trees that lay dying and withered in the forest.

My tears soon turned into uncontrollable sobs and I found myself pathetically crawling back towards the meadow. It may have been nothing like it should have been, but just its location soothed me slightly. What it represented was far more important than what it looked like. It was the closest I could be to my Edward, now. I crawled deeper and deeper into the forest, desperately seeking Edward's voice once more. An angry Edward was better than no Edward at all. With each step, the vicious roar of the raging storm above me, quietened slightly. With each small shuffle, the rain eased and it became easier to breathe. When my eyes found the edge of the meadow once more, I was actually able to see the moon shining through the clouds.

"That's it, love. Come back to me. Just keep fighting... _please_ keep fighting."

I nodded uselessly, knowing that he couldn't see me. I finally understood, now. He wanted me to stay in the meadow. I could do that. I didn't want to go back into the forest at any rate.

"Can't we just change her? It's what she wanted..."

I whimpered at the soothing sound of Esme's sweet voice. It was awful to be able to hear her, but not see her. I would give anything to be with her right now.

"She's too weak. She wouldn't survive it. She needs to fight this on her own."

"She can do it. I know that she can. She's lasted this long."

I could do what? I wasn't doing anything? I shook my head and slumped onto the ground in the center of the meadow. I was exhausted and defeated. If I had to stay here in this awful place, at least I could hear my love. He was safe, and that was the only thing I cared about. My eyes began to droop as I felt myself sinking into the cold mulch that covered the ground. I could only hope that while I slept, whatever magic had brought me to this place, would take me home again – back to my Edward. His ethereal face was the only image that I allowed my mind to conjure, as I slowly slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

Heat.

That was my first thought. I felt as though I were running a raging temperature throughout my entire body. I cursed loudly and wondered what I had done to deserve this new hell. I almost preferred the torrential rain and freezing wind to this. Such conflicting feelings, neither my mind nor my body could keep up with them. Another wave of heat rolled through me and I recoiled from the sudden sensation. It was hot, now - too hot, unbearably hot. I opened my mouth in a silent scream as the heat began to sear through my body, far worse than it had done a moment ago.

Fire.

That was my second thought. The mild heat gave way to vicious flames that began to lick at every inch of my skin, causing me to buck and thrash in a useless attempt to get away from the agonising inferno that was trying to scorch me to a crisp.

"Carlisle? _Please_... you have to do something..."

Edward's terrified voice did nothing to calm the fear that was beginning to take over once more. My only comfort was that his voice sounded closer, now - much closer than it had done in the meadow. I tried to open my eyes to see if he was there, but I couldn't. I screamed a desperate plea to him, praying that he would hear me, as another ferocious wave of unbearable heat swept through me.

What the hell was happening to me?

"Her fever is dangerously high. As soon as I have it under control, I'll take a blood sample. Just try to stay calm."

"Carlisle, should we really be fucking around with blood samples? Her heart stopped beating a few hours ago! She's already died once! Just fucking bite her already!"

"She's too weak, Emmett. If I bite her now, her heart will fail. She needs to fight this on her own."

"Fight what? What is she even fighting? We don't even know what's wrong with her!"

"Maybe she has a heart condition? Or some sort of disease?"

"Alice you're not helping. Neither are you, Emmett. Come away… think of your brother. He doesn't need to hear this."

"Emmett's right. I'm not just going to stand here and watch her die. Carlisle, either you bite her, or I will."

"You don't have enough control for that, Jasper. You could end up draining her completely."

"I'm getting really sick of your holier than thou attitude, Carlisle. I'm telling you that I can do it. When we were running on the beach, I promised her that I would help her through her transformation. She's my sister. I won't let her down. Not again – and we need to get her off this beach. She's been laying there for hours, now."

"It wasn't safe to move her until her heart was stable. I'm working on it, Jasper."

As much as I wanted to listen to their argument, my mind simply wouldn't stay focused on it. I groaned and fisted my hands into the scorching hot ground that was creating an unbearably hot bed underneath my weak form. My mind rejoiced for a fraction of a second as I realised that I was clutching onto _sand_ again, but I couldn't dwell on that fact for more than a moment. I couldn't think about anything other than the white-hot fire that was raging through me. I felt as though I was being burned alive! What crime had I committed to warrant such an abysmal death? Every muscle in my body felt as though it were being torn from me – ripped into shreds and destroyed in the most vicious way possible. My jaw locked against the torturous pain and I felt my useless tears begin to traitorously stream down my ashen face.

"Why won't she wake up? Please, Bella... please wake up for me."

_Edward..._

He was my third thought. His loving caresses were the only thing holding me to this earth. But his voice... the absolute agony in his voice was far more painful than any of my other symptoms. I knew that something was obviously wrong with me, but what could be serious enough to make him sound so scared? His cool hand was gripping my own, fiercely, and I summoned every ounce of my strength as I attempted to squeeze his in return. It was unbelievably frustrating to not be able to complete such a simple task. With a herculean effort, I managed to make my mouth move.

"Ed-ward..." I stammered the word through tense, pursed lips, but it was more than enough to gain his attention.

"Bella?" His ice-cold hands gripped my face desperately as he smoothed my ridiculously wayward hair away from my eyes. "Oh thank _God_... Bella. I'm here my love – we're all here."

"It hurts," I hissed. "It hurts so much. _Please!_ Just make it stop!" I scrunched my eyes closed against the pain, but it made no difference. The only comfort that I could clutch onto, was that he was here with me. Wherever we were, we were together. I wasn't alone any more.

"I know, love," he whispered desperately. "Carlisle is going to make it better, just stay awake for me, okay?"

The fire in my veins burned ever hotter and a guttural scream was wrenched from my lips. "K-kill me, Edward! _Please_... just kill me..." I begged.

Edward's quiet moan in my ear sounded agonised and I knew what his answer was going to be before he spoke. "_No_..." he whimpered. I didn't feel any tears, it was impossible for his kind to physically cry, but his entire frame shuddered with sobs against my own. "Don't say that, Bella. Please never say that. You're going to be fine, I swear it. One way or another. Carlisle, _please!_ Do something!"

"Jasper, don't come any closer. If you bite her now, she's finished," Carlisle warned sternly. "Alice, prepare a bed for her. Edward, we need to move her, son. Will you carry her?"

"Yes, anything. Just please hurry." He nuzzled his face into my neck as he pulled me into his arms. Normally, something so tender would have soothed me, but the movement only heightened my pain.

"No," I begged. "Please no..."

"I know love," Edward sobbed. "Just a few more seconds. I'm so sorry..."

My heart stuttered repeatedly in my chest and I gasped furiously for breath, but it wouldn't come. I could feel my pulse quicken as my body desperately tried to keep me going through the pain, but it was too much to bear. It was all too much. I couldn't cope with this agony and neither could my body. No matter what Carlisle had planned, I knew that it was too late. I could feel my entire body beginning to shut down.

I was _dying_.

Many people who have experienced the cold grasp of death, will tell you that they were either terrified, or felt a sense of peace. I felt neither. The only emotion that I could entertain was sorrow. I couldn't bring myself to mourn the loss of my short life – I could only regret the passing of my eternal life with Edward. It had taken us two years, but we had finally accepted that I couldn't remain human, and now the decision was being taken from us anyway. I was being taken from him, and him from me. With an immense effort, I managed to force my eyes open. I passed over the worried faces of our family and looked straight at Edward, who was still crying next to me. The sight of his terrified face was enough to make everything else fade away. For that one, singular moment, there was no worry or pain. His family didn't exist. There was no one in the world other than him.

"Edward?" My voice was barely a whisper. I had no doubt that it would have been inaudible to human ears.

"Just hold on, love," he cried. "Emmett is trying to get hold of some morphine. Just hold on for me."

"I don't want to go back to that place," I admitted quietly. His terrified expression melted briefly into one of confusion.

"What place, love?"

"The meadow," I whispered through my tears. "Our meadow."

"You love our meadow, Bella," he murmured.

"Not without you. It's horrible without you."

"We never have to go there again if you don't want to, love. Just stay awake for me. _Please."_

I shook my head sadly as I realised the monumental truth of what I was about to tell him.

"I'm not destined for heaven, Edward."

"No," he growled. "You're not. You're staying here with me." His voice sounded absolutely determined, almost as if he were trying to convince himself that he wasn't watching me die in front of his own eyes.

"I died," I confirmed. He nodded his head sadly and squeezed my hands a little tighter.

"Your heart stopped beating for a few moments," he cried. "But you're okay now. Everything is going to be okay."

"No," I whispered. "It's not, Edward." I reached out my hand, shakily and stroked his soft, cool face with my fingertips. "When I... _died_... I went away from you. I wasn't here anymore, Edward."

"I don't understand." His voice was barely a whisper, but it still sounded utterly shattered.

"I woke up in the meadow," I breathed. "But… it wasn't the same. Everything else had died too. All of the flowers and the trees… there was nothing left…."

My voice trailed off into a whisper and I realised that I couldn't tell Edward my fears. They would haunt him for the rest of eternity. He would never again have a peaceful moment if he knew how I would be spending my afterlife. Edward had been so adamant that I would be destined for heaven – but that replica of our meadow was no heaven. The barren land represented my life without him. Cold, dead and empty. There may have been no fiery pits and no red, horned devil, but it was my own personal hell. I was going to be subjected to an eternal life without Edward. There was nothing worse than that for me. No. I could never tell him my fears. I shook my head in an attempt to clear it and turned my attention back to his agonised face.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I whispered. I stopped trying to fight for breath and I felt my rapid pulse begin to slow dramatically.

"No," he begged. "_Please_, Bella! Just hang on for a little longer... that's all you have to do. Carlisle will-"

I shook my head and pressed my tired fingers to his lips, stilling their frantic movement. My other hand shook as I pulled my fingers through his hair. "If I could have our time again, there is so much that I would do differently," I whispered.

"No, love. Please... don't"

The fire was beginning to return, now. I had enjoyed my few moments of reprieve, but something so awful could never be held off for long. I grit my teeth together and spat out the words that I so desperately wanted to say to him… before they stilled completely… irreversibly…. permanently.

"There are so many things that I regret. I've made so many mistakes and we've hurt each other so much," I cried. "But I will never regret you, Edward. You are the one thing that has always been right in my life."

My eyes began to feel heavy, but I willed them to stay open – just for a few more moments. I couldn't go yet. I had one more thing to tell him – the most important thing. I couldn't leave him without letting him know just how much I loved him. But despite what I wanted, my eyes did close and I felt myself begin to fade.

"No, Bella!" Edward screamed. He shook my shoulders desperately, but I couldn't make my eyes open again. I simply didn't have the energy. "You can't leave me, Bella! You _promised_ me forever! You promised!"

I could hear the scarcely concealed agony that poured through his voice, but it wasn't enough to rouse me – not this time. Awareness slowly began to slip away from me and I gripped Edward's hand one final time before sinking back into the pillow and allowing the darkness to take me to the one place that Edward couldn't follow me.

My eyes wouldn't see him anymore, and my hands would never again hold him. But my heart? My heart would always love him. Death could claim my body, but my heart belonged to Edward.

Forever.

* * *

**AN: I know - it was a rubbish place to end the chapter. Boo! I promise not to drag this out. Everything will be explained in the next chapter, which will be going up asap. (Probably in a few days). Once again, thank you for all the lovely reviews and PM's I received while I was away. It was so nice to come home and read them all. I'll update as soon as possible (",)**


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: Time for some answers? As promised, I won't be dragging this out. When I wrote this chapter it came out at over 11000 words, so I'm splitting it into two chapters instead. But they're both going up together. I'm posting this one and then the next straight away afterwards. Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing! Have a FABULOUS day! **

* * *

_RECAP:_

_My eyes began to feel heavy, but I willed them to stay open – just for a few more moments. I couldn't go yet. I had one more thing to tell him – the most important thing. I couldn't leave him without letting him know just how much I loved him. But despite what I wanted, my eyes did close and I felt myself begin to fade._

"_No, Bella!" Edward screamed. He shook my shoulders desperately, but I couldn't make my eyes open again. I simply didn't have the energy. "You can't leave me, Bella! You __promised__ me forever! You promised!"_

_I could hear the scarcely concealed agony that poured through his voice, but it wasn't enough to rouse me – not this time. Awareness slowly began to slip away from me and I gripped Edward's hand one final time before sinking back into the pillow and allowing the darkness to take me to the one place that Edward couldn't follow me._

_My eyes wouldn't see him anymore, and my hands would never again hold him. But my heart? My heart would always love him. Death could claim my body, but my heart belonged to Edward. _

_Forever. _

* * *

Hushed whispers woke me from my deep sleep, but I was still too tired to open my eyes to see who was with me. I pushed my hair away from my face before rolling onto my side and hugging my pillow like it was a life preserver. Most people draw comfort from their pillows, but for me, I actually had difficulty sleeping _with_ one. The soft warm feathers gave such a stark contrast to Edward's cold, marble chest that it merely served to remind me that he wasn't here with me. My muddled brain desperately tried to remember why he wasn't here, but I was still too tired to make much sense of anything yet.

"She's doing well, son. Her fever has almost completely disappeared. I think that we will be able to safely remove the IV soon."

I smiled as I heard Carlisle's voice, but didn't lift my head from the pillow. Instead, I huddled down further into the blanket and tried to draw out my last few minutes of peace before Alice undoubtedly forced me out of the bed and into a pair of ridiculously tiny jeans. I felt the gentle tug of someone pulling the quilt all the way up to my neck before tucking it around me securely.

"It's okay, love. Just sleep." A soft, cool hand ran along the edge of my jaw and I literally melted back into the bed. Only an idiot would turn down the chance to sleep in late – especially if you had Edward Cullen as your guardian angel, keeping you safe while you did.

"Has Alice seen anything else?"

"I haven't spoken to her today. She took Jasper onto the mainland to get more supplies. I'll have to call her-"

I wanted to hear the end of his sentence, but the soothing sound of his melodious voice once again lulled me into a deep sleep.

* * *

"She's a remarkably strong woman, Edward."

It was Elizabeth's soothing voice that roused me this time. Even though my eyes remained closed, I could feel the bright sunlight streaming through the windows. I idly wondered just how long I had been asleep.

"She keeps coming back to me, mom. I've lost her so many times – but she always comes back to me."

"Of course she does, son. She loves you."

"I love her more."

My silly vampire. Of course I would always come back to him. Being without Edward was an impossibility for me. Didn't he know that by now? I smiled into my pillow and pushed one of my legs out of the covers with a huff. The heat of the day was making the room uncomfortably hot – not ideal conditions for eavesdropping at all. Edward chuckled quietly and ran his fingers through my hair.

"The last two years have been difficult, but this – _this_ has been a real eye opener for me. She wants to wait another eleven months until we turn her and that's fine – but I'm not letting her out of my sight from now on."

"Edward, you can't smother her."

"I can and I fully intend to. She'll just have to accept it mom because I honestly can't go through this again. It will finish me."

Go through what again? My irritation spiked when he didn't explain himself in more detail and I cursed my lovely vampires for always being so vague!

"She'll love you too, mom. I promise."

"Oh Edward, you mustn't rummage around in my head. I'm not entirely sure that I like you being able to hear my every little worry."

"Sorry. I can't turn it off you know… though sometimes I really wish that I could."

"…and you cannot hear your Bella?"

"No, not a peep. The one mind that I _need_ to hear and it's closed to me completely. But I don't need to be able to read her mind to know that she will love you just as much as she loves Esme."

"Edward-"

"Trust me, mom. You don't know her like we do. She'll love you just because you love me. It isn't in her nature to dislike someone for no good reason. She always tries to find the best in people. That may make her naive, but it's one of her most endearing traits… her innocence. She hasn't been tainted by this life yet. I fully intend to shelter her from it as much as I can, too."

"I still find it incredible that she doesn't fear us – not even a little."

Edward let out a loud bark of laughter before muffling the sound in an attempt to quieten it. "I'm still waiting for her to run from me, screaming as she goes. She has been through so much since she met me. It's an absolute wonder that she hasn't had me forcibly removed from her life and issued a restraining order."

I grumbled quietly at that particular comment. I could tell that he wasn't being serious, but it still annoyed me when he thought so low of himself. I made a brief mental note to tell him off as soon as I could be bothered. Not just yet, though. I was far too comfortable to move just yet – especially as Edward was currently running his fingertip over my eyelids softly.

"There was another vampire," Edward whispered. "His name was James."

My whole body stiffened as Edward murmured his sad words next to my ear. He had never once opened up about that awful night. It wasn't his style. He always preferred to brood in silence.

"The one who took your Bella?"

"He didn't take her. She went to him voluntarily. She offered herself to him freely."

"I don't understand, son."

I heard Edward's loud sigh and felt tears begin to fill my eyes. I _wanted_ him to talk to his mother about this. I knew better than anyone how much that night haunted him, but he wouldn't ever talk to me about it. My silly, silly vampire. Why did he always insist on sheltering me?

"James was a hunter. He was very old and very bored. His one source of entertainment was the thrill of the hunt. When I read his disgusting mind, I saw the visual proof of his jaunts. He liked to play games. He toyed with his food, before he eventually killed them."

"Oh son…"

"When he saw my Bella, he thought he had struck gold. A lone human being protected my seven vampires. It was like Christmas for him – we gave him the chance to play the most exciting game of his existence. The moment we sank into a crouch in front of Bella, I knew that we had made a terrible mistake. From that moment on, he had tunnel vision. There was only one thing he wanted in the whole world."

"Bella. He wanted your Bella."

"Yes," he whispered. "He wasn't even particularly attuned to her scent. He had fed that very same day. He just wanted to win. I often wonder what would have happened if we hadn't tried to protect her."

"Edward! How could you say such a thing?"

"You misunderstand me, mom. I would never have let him harm her, but the moment we rallied to her defense, she became unobtainable – and James didn't believe in anything being inaccessible or off limits to him."

"You would do things differently if you could live that moment again?"

"I would," he confirmed. "I would have acted with complete nonchalance. I would have offered Bella to him – acted as though she meant nothing to us."

"Edward – no…"

"He wouldn't have wanted her, mom. If he had believed that we didn't care about her, he would have played his game of baseball and left. He wasn't _thirsty_ – he just wanted something to do. I read his mind! I knew what he wanted and played straight into his hands. That whole horrific event could have been avoided…."

"But Bella would never have trusted you again, son."

"Yes, she would."

"If you had offered her up on a plate? Use your common sense, son."

"Mom, if the last two years have taught me one thing, it's that _nothing_ will break my bond to Bella – nor hers to me. Time and distance mean nothing to our love – neither does a grubby little imp like James."

"So what happened? How did James get near her?"

"Another mistake. The family separated. Alice and Jasper took Bella away from Forks and led her to her mother's home. We never should have been parted… but I wasn't thinking clearly. If I had to re-live _that_ moment, I would have had Alice call Bella's father and inform him that she would be staying at our home for a sleepover. Then I would have put Bella on the sofa with a few snacks and a good book, while the family stood in a circle around her, sneering at James to do his worst. The odious little twerp wouldn't have even made it to the front door. It should have ended there, in Forks. Mistake after mistake…."

"He followed her to her mother's home, then?"

"He pulled her school records and found out that she was a transfer student from Phoenix. We made it so easy for him to find her. Hell, a _human_ could have located her with ease. He didn't need to use his tracking ability at all."

"But why did she go to him? It doesn't make any sense…."

"James called Bella and told her that he had captured her mother – not Esme, her biological mother, Renee."

My heart swelled when Edward so nonchalantly referred to Esme as my mother. Every single day, we were making progress, and it warmed me to think that he had finally accepted that I loved his family just as much as he did. I made a conscious effort to relax my face and keep my heart rate steady. It wasn't easy to fool a vampire into thinking that you were asleep and I _really_ didn't want Edward to find out that I was listening in on his conversation with his mother.

"Bella managed to dodge Alice and Jasper and went straight to James-"

"But didn't Alice _see_ Bella's decision to escape?"

"Mom, you have to understand that Alice and Bella have been inseparable from the moment they met. I would be jealous of their bond if I couldn't see with my own eyes just how happy they are when they are in each others company. If you could custom design a family, those two would be sisters. Of that, I have no doubt. I _see_ every vision that Alice has, and Jasper is _mated_ to Alice, but that means very little. It's _Bella_ who understands Alice's gift completely. You've seen with your own eyes just how easily Bella can manipulate her gift to ensure that Alice sees exactly what she wants her to see? Well, it works the other way, too. Bella knows exactly how to dodge Alice's visions. She knew that she wouldn't be able to evade them for long, but she only needed a few moments at any rate."

"I don't understand. Bella would need more than a few moments to escape them. She couldn't possibly outrun two vampires."

"You're forgetting that Bella spent every waking moment with us, mom. She knows exactly how vampires function. I never openly told her about our supernatural traits, but she picked up certain tricks along the way. She lied to Jasper – she told him that she needed to use the restroom. He escorted her, but obviously couldn't go inside with her. As soon as the door closed behind her, she escaped through a window."

"But surely Jasper could have just tracked her scent?"

"Well, for a start, they were in public, so he had to move at a human pace. Secondly, Bella is too smart to forget that he could smell her. She took a taxi."

"Clever girl," Elizabeth whispered.

"Quite. The moment she stepped into the taxi, her scent was lost and the trail went cold. Thankfully Alice already knew that Bella was going to the ballet studio. She had seen it in a vision and Bella had confirmed its location. We got there just in time… but a moment too late."

"He bit her," Elizabeth confirmed. The scar on my wrist seemed to cool a few degrees as I recalled that awful night.

"Yes," he whispered. His voice was laced with pain and I was seriously considering that it might be time to let him know that I have been listening to every word that he has said.

"But she came back to me," he breathed. "She always comes back to me."

His fingers stilled on my lips and I felt his hand curl into a fist against my cheek. "I should have let her go through the change. It was what she wanted, but I denied her… again."

"You were doing what you thought was best, son. You can't punish yourself for past mistakes – you have to learn from them and move on."

"I treated her like a child, mom. She knew what she wanted and I ignored her repeatedly. I can't even honestly say that my decision was entirely based on wanting to keep her human…"

"Then what was your reasoning?"

Well _this_ was news to me. I strained my ears in an attempt to hear his reply but the room had fallen into complete silence. Irritation ran through me as I realised that Edward must have lowered his voice so that no one would be able to overhear him.

"Edward? Are you going to answer my question?"

Elizabeth's stern voice was so completely motherly, that I had to fight the urge to sit up and pay attention to her. I had received so little parental guidance as a child, it was hard not to react to her commanding tone. She wanted and answer, and she was damn well going to get it.

"It wasn't my venom changing her," Edward whispered. My breath caught in my throat and I had to physically concentrate on staying still. I didn't have to wait long before Edward rushed to continue his explanation. "I know how awful that sounds… truly, I do. But I didn't want James to have any part of Bella. When I was sucking out his venom, the only thing I could think about was replacing it with my own."

"Edward, son-"

"Please don't tell her. I couldn't bear it if she knew just how depraved I really am," he whispered.

My heart stuttered in my chest and I felt Edward stiffen against me. "Bella?"

I chose to ignore his quiet prodding as I worked through his last statement. Edward had always told me that he had wanted me to remain human. Not once had he mentioned the fact that he had entertained the idea, no matter how briefly, of me becoming like him so early on in our relationship. I was quite literally stunned.

"Give her time, Edward. She's been through so much."

"I can't stand this, mom. I need her to come back to me. _Please_, Bella. Just come back to me…"

What had I been through? I wracked my brain, desperately trying to work out what they were talking about, but I came up blank. Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I couldn't even remember going to bed last night. We had been on the beach…. that much I could recall. Carlisle had wanted me to do a lap of the island. I vaguely remembered running with Jasper by my side. I smiled as I recalled the conversation we had enjoyed. I had never felt closer to Jasper than I had in that moment.

Dizzy. I had been dizzy when we reached the end of our little race. Edward had held me…

Pain. I had been in pain, too. Carlisle had mentioned something about blood samples, but after that – there was nothing. I had no other memories of the evening. Perhaps I had fainted and Edward had carried me to bed? It was plausible I suppose, but irritating not to know either way.

"Yes, I love her. More than anything else on this world, I love my Bella."

Edward's sweet words pulled me from my internal rambling and I turned my attention back to him. Right now, I wanted to enjoy the soothing sounds of his words as they caressed my ear.

"There was a time when I never thought I would see you so consumed by love, Edward. We had hoped, but you never spoke of anything other than that wretched war."

"I was seventeen, mother. I had no interest in taking a wife. Especially not with any of the silly ladies that you constantly threw in my direction."

"You are still seventeen, my dear, and they were not silly."

"I'm a hundred and ten and they were ridiculous."

"Be fair, Edward. Some of them were very pleasant. Evelyn Valentine showed a definite interest in you."

I huffed with irrational jealousy and curled my hands into fists underneath the covers. Edward had told me time and time again that he had never been interested in anyone before me, but he was currently reminiscing about a time in his life that I could never be a part of. A more pleasant, innocent time. His human years.

"Who? Picture her face in your mind…."

"That's her."

"Good grief, I had forgotten all about her," Edward mused. I gave myself a swift internal fist bump and grinned in triumph. Take that you little harlot! He doesn't even remember who you are! I then immediately felt terrible for thinking ill of the dead and apologised in my mind to the spirit of the harlot… _woman_ I had never even met. I'm going to hell. In a wheelbarrow.

"She was a sweet girl," Elizabeth whispered.

"I'm sure that she made a very lovely house wife to someone," Edward dead-panned.

"Just what exactly is wrong with being a house wife, Edward?" The tone of Elizabeth's voice suddenly raised in warning and I had to fight the urge to bury myself deeper in the bed.

"Nothing whatsoever," Edward replied. "I'm sure that she was docile and complainant and did everything that her husband wished of her. I have no doubt that she behaved perfectly in public and never entertained a scandalous moment in her life."

"Would that have been so terrible, Edward? If we had never succumbed to the influenza, would you have been truly unhappy to live that life with us? With a wife?"

"If we had never become ill and been changed, I would have gone to war, mom. If I had returned, I would probably have married the first woman who didn't drive me loopy and lived a very long, very boring existence. I would have worked hard in a job that I hated, to provide for a family that I never wanted with a woman who I wouldn't have loved," Edward grumbled. I listened intently to every word he spoke with rapt attention. He had never been so frank in his existence. I wasn't going to miss the front row seat to his long overdue confession session.

"How do you know that you wouldn't have loved her, son?" Elizabeth pushed.

"Because Bella hadn't been born yet. If I couldn't marry her, then I wouldn't have wanted to marry anyone."

"But you didn't even know that she would exist one day, son."

"My heart did," he whispered. "On some level, my heart knew that something had gone wrong in my timeline. Every other boy my age was courting, or fantasizing over one girl or another. I couldn't tolerate any of the women in our acquaintance, not romantically at any rate. They weren't Bella, mom."

He sounded so sure of himself, and spoke with such conviction, that I had to resist the urge to nod violently and stick my tongue out at his mother. You tell her!

"Don't misunderstand me, Edward, Bella is lovely. But, you have to admit that she is so very different to the women you were exposed to as a boy…."

"Thank goodness for that," he huffed.

"What is it about her that captivates you, so?"

"Everything." He sounded confused, as though it should have been obvious to anyone with eyes, and I bit my tongue to stop myself from laughing at his incredulous tone.

"Edward…" his mother pressed. "Talk to me, son. I only want to know her better. I have no doubt that I'll hear the best account of her personality from you."

Edward sighed and I felt the bed dip as he slipped in next to me. He was above the covers, so he wasn't being improper in any way, but I still distinctly heard Elizabeth grumbling from her perch across the room.

"Mother," Edward chided. "She is my _mate_. I am going to touch her when I want to. Really, you ought to try and adapt to modern times. What you are seeing now is actually very chaste for young couples."

"Goodness, Edward. Don't say that. I'm fighting the urge to come over there and slap you silly. You are corrupting her, son. Think of her reputation."

I rolled my eyes, but thankfully no one saw as they were still firmly closed. "My Bella isn't one of the porcelain dolls that you persistently paraded around in front of me as a boy. She is a woman, mother. A grown woman who is perfectly capable of making up her own mind and forming her own opinions. I fervently promise that she would have no problem telling me off thoroughly if my actions upset her in any way. I love that about her… her fiery temper. Right now, she's like a kitten trying to be a tiger, but once she's gone through the change? God, her temper is going to be incredible. I can't wait," he laughed. "…and she's opinionated, mom. She is so completely stubborn and fixated that it's almost impossible to sway her once she has set her mind on something. She's intelligent, too – and funny. She's so loving and that makes her even more loveable…."

Tears formed behind my lids and I willed myself not to cry. It was one thing to hear him agree to change me, but another thing entirely to listen to him admit that he's excited about the prospect.

"You wanted to know why I love her so much. I had thought that it would have been obvious," he mused. He pressed his cheek against mine and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I love her because she is the exact opposite of everything that I should have had as a human. She _isn't_ docile or compliant. She never does a single thing that I say. She doesn't know her darning from her knitting and has probably never even considered the fact that in 1918, she would have been labelled as promiscuous and shunned from polite society. I often try to picture her life if she had been born in my time. I have tried to imagine her behaving as all of the other ladies did, but I can't. Because deep down I know that she wouldn't have behaved like they did. She would have been one of the women with a dirty petticoat, marching in the mud with the suffragettes. I can absolutely picture her going on a hunger strike in an attempt to gain the vote for women. I can easily imagine her shouting in the street and waving a banner in the crowds. I can see her volunteering to fill the vacancies in employment that the men left behind when we went to war. She wouldn't have been a clerk, though. She would have been a builder or a blacksmith or something equally outrageous. She would have worn pants and cursed like a sailor. She would have captivated me then, just as much as she does today. I have no doubt that if I had met her in 1918, I would have sunk onto my knees and begged her to entertain the idea of marrying me. She would have been my little suffragette and I would have loved her until the day that I died."

I let out a shaky breath and curled in a little closer to Edward. The man sure knew how to melt me into a puddle of goo.

"Shh, love," he cooed. "Just sleep. I'm here."

I nodded without opening my eyes and blew out the huge breath that I had been holding. "Mkay."

I felt Edward stiffen beside me before grabbing my face between both of his hands. "Did she just? Oh my God_… Bella_?"

Busted.

* * *

**AN: I'm putting the next chapter up right now. Thanks for reading! **


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Part two… and finally some answers (",) **

* * *

_RECAP:_

_Tears formed behind my lids and I willed myself not to cry. It was one thing to hear him agree to change me, but another thing entirely to listen to him admit that he's excited about the prospect._

_"You wanted to know why I love her so much. I had thought that it would have been obvious," he mused. He pressed his cheek against mine and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I love her because she is the exact opposite of everything that I should have had as a human. She isn't docile or compliant. She never does a single thing that I say. She doesn't know her darning from her knitting and has probably never even considered the fact that in 1918, she would have been labelled as promiscuous and shunned from polite society. I often try to picture her life if she had been born in my time. I have tried to imagine her behaving as all of the other ladies did, but I can't. Because deep down I know that she wouldn't have behaved like they did. She would have been one of the women with a dirty petticoat, marching in the mud with the suffragettes. I can absolutely picture her going on a hunger strike in an attempt to gain the vote for women. I can easily imagine her shouting in the street and waving a banner in the crowds. I can see her volunteering to fill the vacancies in employment that the men left behind when we went to war. She wouldn't have been a clerk, though. She would have been a builder or a blacksmith or something equally outrageous. She would have worn pants and cursed like a sailor. She would have captivated me then, just as much as she does today. I have no doubt that if I had met her in 1918, I would have sunk onto my knees and begged her to entertain the idea of marrying me. She would have been my little suffragette and I would have loved her until the day that I died."_

_I let out a shaky breath and curled in a little closer to Edward. The man sure knew how to melt me into a puddle of goo._

_"Shh, love," he cooed. "Just sleep. I'm here."_

_I nodded without opening my eyes and blew out the huge breath that I had been holding. "Mkay."_

_I felt Edward stiffen beside me before grabbing my face between both of his hands. "Did she just? Oh my God… Bella?"_

_Busted._

* * *

Shit! I really didn't want to have to admit that I had been listening to every word he had been saying. I scrunched my eyes in reluctance before cracking one open a millimeter to find Edward hovering over me with a look of undisguised hope across his face.

"G'morning," I mumbled sleepily as my hands clumsily rubbed over my eyes. The door to the bedroom flew open with a bang and the rest of the family raced in, all looking equally relieved. I started to push myself into a sitting position and Edward snapped out of his haze long enough to assist me.

"Carefully, love. Let me help you. Carlisle?"

My adopted father stepped forward and placed his hand over my forehead, as though he were trying to assess my temperature. "She feels cool. 97.7," he mused. "You have been holding her?"

Edward nodded feebly before tightening his grip on my shoulders. I cast a cursory glance at the rest of the family and wondered why they had all decided to pile into my bedroom to greet me. I wasn't even dressed yet!

"Not to be rude or anything, but why are you all staring at me as though I have three heads?" I grumbled uncharitably. Okay, so I wasn't the most pleasant person first thing in the morning. "…and how did I even get into bed?"

"Edward carried you in here. You don't remember?" Carlisle whispered. His face fell into an expression of concern as he lowered his hand from my forehead. I shook my head in denial and pulled the covers a little higher up my chest in a subtle reminder that I was in my sleepwear here.

"Bella?" Carlisle pressed, drawing my attention back to him. "Do you know who I am?"

Edward inhaled sharply behind me and snapped his head towards his adopted father, obviously not liking whatever it was that he was hearing in his mind.

"Carlisle," I drawled as though I was speaking to a child. "Are you actually asking me to explain who you are? Do you not know?"

His expression calmed somewhat, but he still seemed uncertain. He moved closer to the bed and crouched down in front of me, taking both of my hands into his own as he assessed my features.

"Bella, I need to ask you a few questions. They may see strange, but I need you to trust me, okay?"

I nodded, but remained completely oblivious to his reasoning. However, I _did_ trust him, so I kept quiet and waited for him to speak.

"Where are we, sweetheart?" He whispered.

"Isle Esme?" I answered, though it sounded like more of a question than a positive reply.

"Good girl. Now can you tell me a little bit about Edward, honey? What's his full name?"

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," I whispered. "Carlisle? What's going on? You're scaring me."

"Just a few more questions, sweetheart. Please? I'll explain everything afterwards…"

"Okay."

"How old is Edward?"

"Seventeen," I whispered. I felt him tense behind me and I gave him a cursory glance. "Or a hundred and ten, depending on which way you look at it."

"Oh thank _God_," he groaned.

"Wait a moment, Edward. Please," Carlisle insisted as he held his hand up to stop Edward from pulling me into his arms. "Can you tell me what day it is?"

I glanced out the window and noted that it was in fact sunny, which meant that I had slept through the whole night without stirring once.

"Thursday," I mumbled. Edward groaned and lay his head onto my shoulder. The rest of the family exchanged worried glances with each other.

"What is the last thing that you remember, sweetheart?"

I cast my mind back once more, but still couldn't remember much. "I remember going for a run with Jasper," I smiled. He smiled in return, but it seemed to be overshadowed by something – fear, perhaps? "….and then I felt really unwell."

"After that? What do you remember?"

"Not much," I shrugged. "I know that I fainted on the beach but after that everything becomes a little hazy. I remember you and Edward talking this morning though, Carlisle."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and stroked the back of my hand comfortingly. "What were we talking about?"

"You were talking about a fever," I murmured. "You were going to remove an IV? I don't really recall the details."

"You heard that?" Edward breathed. "You were awake?" He seemed completely astounded and for the life of me, I couldn't work out why.

"Well, you weren't exactly talking quietly, Edward. Does it matter that I heard your conversation? I'm sorry, I didn't know that it was supposed to be private," I apologised sincerely.

"That's not what's worrying him, Belly," Emmett muttered. "It's the fact that they had that conversation nine days ago and you don't even know what day of the week it is."

"Emmett!" Esme hissed. "Have some tact!"

"Nine days?" I breathed. I glanced at Rosalie to see if Emmett was joking, but her face seemed as tense as Carlisle's. "But – that's impossible…"

My heart began to thrum in my chest and Edward's face melted into one of sheer panic. He pulled me into his arms and began to hum steadily before turning to Jasper and giving him a pointed look. A wave of serenity washed over me and I felt my heart rate begin to slow once more.

"That's it, love. Try to calm down for me. It's not good for your heart…" he whispered. His voice sounded unbearably strained and I wondered why he was so suddenly concerned about my heart. After all, I was only nineteen… I led a healthy lifestyle – he had no reason to be so-

'_That's definitely a pulse. Keep pushing that oxygen, Emmett."_

My heart began to thrum a staccato beat once more as grainy flashes of hazy memories began to pour into my mind, far too fast for me to make any proper sense of them.

'_Damn it, Bella! Don't you dare give up on me!"_

"Bella?" Edward's worried face appeared in front of me, but I stared through him, only seeing the foggy recollections from a few days before. "Love, you need to calm down."

"She's remembering," Alice whispered. "Give her a moment, Edward."

'_If I bite her now, her heart will fail. She needs to fight this on her own.'_

A distant recollection of a haunted meadow swam through my mind and I shuddered, physically moving myself backwards, away from the nightmare.

"No," I cried. "I don't want to go back there. Don't make me go back there!"

"Go back where?" Mr Masen asked. "Edward? What is she talking about?"

Dead trees…. dry and cracked. Lifeless flowers…. weeping and crooked. Tears poured down my face as panic set in. Had it all been a dream? I couldn't go back there. Edward wrapped his arms around me, trying to still my frantic movements but I pushed him away. I stumbled out of the huge bed and backed myself into the corner of the room. It was a childish, foolish hope, but I felt safer there. The only way that danger could come, was to run directly at me. I would be able to see it.

But I didn't _want_ to see it. I slapped my hands over my ears, trying to drown out the frantic voices of the Cullen's and slammed my eyes closed, but it didn't make a difference. The voices continued, so did the memories. They were clearer, now. I could remember each one with perfect clarity. The raging thunderstorm and torrential, icy rain.

'_No, Bella! Fight it! You have to fight it!'_

But most importantly, in that horrible meadow, there had been no Edward to keep me safe. "No Edward," I whispered.

"What, love?" Edward murmured as he took a few tentative steps towards me. His hands were raised in front of him, showing that he meant no harm. His face looked haunted, almost as though the last few days had _aged_ him.

"No Edward," I repeated in a whisper. His entire face fell and I didn't miss the look of pain that ran across his features.

"Okay, sweetheart. I won't come any closer. No Edward," he whispered. My brow furrowed in confusion before I realised what he was saying.

"N-no, "I stammered. "Edward-"

"No Edward," he repeated once more, his voice monotone – devoid of any emotion at all. "It's okay, love. I understand. I'll stay away."

I sank to the floor and pulled my knees up to my chest, hiding my face from view. How could I make him understand without telling him what had happened to me? How could I tell him that there was no heaven? Or if there was, I wasn't destined for it? An unfamiliar set of cold hands swooped underneath me and picked me up off the floor. I felt my body being cradled to a stone chest, but I didn't recognise the scent. I was too tired and upset to bother opening my eyes to see who it was.

"Bella, dear?" The voice quietly whispered. "I can see that you are confused… and Edward isn't helping. He's always been stubborn, but even I'll admit that he is being a nuisance. What were you trying to say, my dear? What were you trying to tell him before he interrupted you?"

I raised my head and was met with the kind eyes or Mr Masen. He had positioned me in his embrace so that the rest of the room was shielded from view. I could only see him – no one else. I took a moment to collect my weary thoughts before answering him, quietly.

"I meant that Edward wasn't there," I whispered. "He didn't come with me."

I heard movement on the other side of the room, but I ignored it. It was easier to think - easier to talk now that I couldn't see the prying eyes of the Cullen family.

"Will you tell me what you mean, dear? Can you elaborate for me?"

I nodded and clasped my hands together in front of me. My new memories were terrifying, but there was something about Edward Masen senior, that calmed me. He was a gentle old soul, and his very presence made it easier to think.

"I remember everything now," I murmured. "I thought that I had just been asleep. I had no idea that I had actually died… it's all so blurry."

"Take your time, my dear. We are in no rush. We have eternity to work through it all," he smiled.

I gave him a watery chuckle and swallowed my embarrassment. It wasn't ideal to have a mental breakdown in front of your in-laws, but if you were going to do it, the Masen's were the ideal people to turn to for support. Edward's father showed nothing but kindness as he helped me to recover from my moment of panic.

"I've seen what happens when you die," I whispered. "I've seen what's waiting on the other side. The afterlife…"

I heard the sharp intake of breath from everyone in the room and I watched as Mr Masen growled at them in a low tone. It sounded menacing… like a warning.

"You speak of Heaven, Bella?" He pressed quietly.

"Yes," I whispered. It seemed that despite Mr Masen's warning, the family were unable to heed his advice, and they stepped closer. I could see Rosalie's designer shoes shuffling towards me slowly. I didn't look up, though. I knew that if I saw their faces, I wouldn't have the nerve to finish my story.

"…and what did you think of Heaven, my dear?" Edward senior asked. "Aside from the fact that Edward wasn't there?"

I raised my head and found him to be smiling down at me. His expression didn't hold any of the accusation or condemnation that I had feared I would see. He seemed to believe my story completely – even though I had no visible proof.

"I don't know," I admitted quietly. "I didn't go to heaven, Mr Masen."

"Bella?" Alice whimpered. Her Prada shoes stopped right in front of my bare feet and she crouched down in front of me, forcing me to look at her. "No, Bella," she insisted. "You must be mistaken."

"I'm not, Alice," I murmured as I rubbed my hands over my face. "I'm positive that I did not go to heaven."

"Talk to me," she growled, though the sound was muffled by a sob. "Talk to me, Bella. Tell me what you saw. Tell me what's scared you so much…"

"I was in Forks," I whispered. "At the meadow that Edward used to take me to."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," Emmett reasoned from across the room. "I was expecting you to say that you bumped into a big red guy with horns and a pitch fork. You should have just gone to our house, Belly. You could have watched some television while you waited."

Everyone growled at him, but I actually managed a small laugh. "I'll remember that for next time, Emmett," I agreed. My tears had finally dried, but the sadness lingered.

"So what _did_ you see, Bella?" Alice whispered. "You love your meadow…"

I shivered violently and a blanket was thrust over Alice's shoulder and wrapped around me in less than a second. With great effort, I managed to painstakingly recount what I had experienced when my heart had stopped. They didn't interrupt me, but I heard them all moving around as I spoke.

"I could hear you all talking, but I couldn't see you. It was awful," I whispered. Esme let out a quiet sob and Carlisle pulled her into his arms.

"What were we saying, Bella?" He murmured around his wife, who was crying openly now.

"Lots of things," I murmured.

"Like what?" Rosalie pushed. I could tell from her stance that she didn't believe a word that I was saying and I wondered momentarily if she would ever accept me into her family. It didn't seem likely – especially after this.

"How is your holier-than-thou attitude, Carlisle?" I dead-panned. Rosalie's eyes widened, but I pushed on, determined to put her in her place. "Emmett was using an oxygen mask to force air into my lungs."

"Oh my god," Alice cried.

"Edward was doing chest compressions…. Forcing my heart to beat."

"Okay. That's freaky," Emmett mumbled.

"I crawled into the forest, away from the meadow – and your voices stopped," I whispered. "I couldn't feel you any more either."

"That was when her heart began to slow again," Elizabeth murmured.

"But Edward shouted at me," I smiled. "He told me to fight it… I didn't know what he wanted me to fight but I knew that I on some level, he wanted me to stay in the meadow, so I crawled back. The closer I got, the louder your voices became again. I felt Carlisle pinch my arm."

"The intravenous drip," Carlisle breathed. "This is incredible…."

"It's awful," Edward sneered at him. "Nothing about this is incredible. She _died_ Carlisle. She died and she was all alone…" The rest of his sentence trailed away as he approached me slowly, as though I might bolt at any moment. He stopped next to his father and crouched down next to us. His arms opened hesitantly, but I dived straight for him. Once I was safely enclosed in his iron grasp, he carried me back to the bed and sat me up against the head board.

"What _happened_ to me, Edward?" My voice was barely even a whisper, but with Edward's sensitive hearing, he would have been able to hear it from a mile away. He glanced at the family and murmured something in a voice too low for me to hear, but in a flash, they a fled from the room. Once the door was closed behind them, he turned back to me and pulled the quilt back around me, cocooning me in its warmth.

"I will explain everything, love. I can only hope that you'll be able to forgive me for putting you through this."

His quiet voice was marred with angst and it seeped into every feature on his face. My poor vampire was untouchable, but in that moment, he looked so very vulnerable. It was haunting to see him like this… to see him so _weak._

"After you collapsed on the beach, your condition worsened _so_ rapidly, Bella. I literally couldn't do anything to stop it. I've never felt so helpless, love. I was _so_ scared."

"But _why_, Edward? _What_ made me so unwell? I don't understand!" My voice sounded shrill even to my ears and I grimaced when I realised that it must have sounded like a cat being strangled to my poor Edward. He slid me down the bed a little and climbed in behind me, taking my place against the headboard. After I was brought back into his arms again, he sighed and pressed his face into the crook of my neck.

"Carlisle ran a full medical check-up on you. Normally, our kind can smell infection or disease, Bella. It's incredibly frustrating for Carlisle. He could diagnose anyone at the hospital within seconds, yet he has to go through the mundane tests with each one so that we don't raise suspicion. But with you, we couldn't detect anything peculiar about your scent. You were displaying no outward signs of being unwell, yet there you were – unconscious in front of me. It was more than I could bear."

"Eventually, even though it seemed pointless, Carlisle withdrew a blood sample from you. He took it to the mainland, bribed the right people and managed to secure a few hours of unsupervised time in a medical laboratory in Rio. He ran every single known test, but they all came up negative. There was nothing wrong with your blood work, Bella. No known illness or infection was detected – and Carlisle was meticulous, love. He ran every test twice. Medically speaking, you were in perfect health. For _days_ we scoured the internet looking for any unknown illnesses, tropical diseases for example. Something that you may have been exposed to in the foreign climate. We found numerous entries, but each of them seemed as unlikely as the next as _all_ of them would have been detectable via blood tests. It was maddening."

"So what happened?" I whispered gently. "How did you find out what was wrong with me?"

"You had a fever that should have caused _brain_ damage, Bella. Carlisle worked tirelessly to bring it down. We spent hours applying cold compresses to just about every inch of your skin, but it made no difference. While it cooled you slightly, your symptoms didn't seem to ease at all… and eventually, your heart simply stopped. We stabilised you, but by this point, it was imperative that we found out what was actually _wrong. _After three days of useless prowling on the internet, we went back to square one. We reassessed your blood sample."

"Wasn't that hard for you, Edward? To be around my blood?"

He scoffed and scathed at the wall. "I watched you _die_, Bella. The scent of your blood is nothing compared to that."

I filed that piece of information away for later and brought myself back to his explanation. "So what happened?"

"The vial of blood we withdrew from you had been processed like it would have been if you had actually donated it. We needed to store it properly, or it would have been useless to us. Carlisle took the sample to the lab and placed it into a centrifuge. It spins the blood at a rapid speed and separates the components; red cells, platelets and plasma. Like I said, it was tested, but all the results came back as normal."

He shifted behind me and I knew that we were getting to the crunch of the subject. Edward was growing increasingly uncomfortable, but I didn't know how to comfort him. I was still trying to process everything he had told me so far. It seemed incredible to me that I had gone through all of this and been completely unaware of what they were doing to save me.

"When we returned to your blood sample a few days later, it had solidified," he whispered.

"Solidified?" I mouthed. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly, if you'll pardon the pun," he murmured sadly. "The blood had disappeared completely, and in its place was a vial of ice. We thought that we had set the temperature on the fridge a little too low until we looked at the sample more closely."

My eyes filled with tears as my fear betrayed me. "I don't understand," I cried. "How is that even possible?"

"It was _venom_, Bella," Edward seethed. His anger came out of nowhere and shocked me into silence. "It was my venom that had killed you."

I waited patiently for him to calm down, but he was showing no signs of ever loosening his tense stance behind me. I spun around to face him, but he wouldn't meet my gaze, even when I placed my hands over his face.

"Edward? Please, you have to talk to me. Please." My gentle begging seemed to thaw him slightly, but not by much. He gave an infinitesimal shrug and blew out the breath that he had been holding.

"We took another blood sample straight away," he whispered. "We didn't bother taking it to the lab this time. We knew what we were looking for."

"Venom," I mouthed. He nodded his agreement and buried his face into his hands.

"As soon as it was in the syringe, Carlisle held it up to the light coming from the window. It's not our skin that glistens in sunlight, Bella. It's the venom that resides in every pore and follicle _within_ our skin. It's like a prism. We literally refract light. As soon as your vial of blood hit natural light, it lit up the walls like a fucking Christmas tree."

"Whoa," I breathed. "Why didn't Carlisle see this happen with the first vial of blood?"

"He tested your sample in a _lab_, Bella. It was in a murky basement in a grimy hospital in Rio. There _was_ no natural light there. It's not Carlisle's fault."

"Of course it's not, Edward. It's no one's fault."

Edward shot from the bed and stopped by the window. He lay his arm against the warm glass and stared unseeingly out onto the beach. His own skin glistened beautifully in the sunlight as he immersed himself in his own thoughts.

"How can you be so calm about this, Bella? I _killed_ you! Now is not the time to be forgiving!"

I shrunk into the bed, trying pointlessly to escape his ire, but my evasive behaviour only seemed to fuel his irritation more. I saw him open his mouth the resume his tirade and decided it was better to head this off now. It wouldn't do either of us any good to fight.

"Stop it, Edward. You didn't know. You couldn't possibly have seen this coming."

He scowled at me and walked towards me slowly. "You're my _mate_, Bella. I _should_ have seen this coming. It's my job to keep you safe! It's my job to think of and plan for every eventuality. Do you think that I don't spend hours every day preparing for every possible outcome of every single activity that we undertake? Do you not trust me to keep you safe?"

I opened my mouth to respond but he his face fell and he held up his hand to halt my speech. "Don't answer that question, Bella. I know that I've failed you."

My tears finally spilled over my lids as I watched him tear himself apart over something that was completely out of his control. "Edward, I'm a grown woman. It's not your 'job' to do anything. It's _my_ responsibility to take care of myself and by my own admittance I'm terrible at it, yes, but it's still up to me – not you."

His entire frame slumped in defeat as he collapsed onto the bed next to me. "Bella," he whispered, "I'm not human and neither are my reactions. I'm going to try to explain this to you in a way that won't offend you. I _know_ how independent you are and I'm not trying to quash that, okay?"

I nodded in confusion but stayed silent. He was finally calm and I didn't want to do anything to disturb the gentle peace that was filling the room.

"I've kept you so sheltered from my way of life that you have no idea what to expect. You can't be expected to understand or prepare for my reactions when you don't know why they're happening. So many mistakes…"

He trailed off in a whisper before taking my hands into his own. "Vampires are extremely protective of their mates, Bella. It's incomparable to human love because we're not human. Vampires have one shot a love and that's it. We get just one chance, one partner. Emmett has his Rosalie, Jasper has his Alice… I have _you_, Bella. I waited such a long time to meet my soul mate that I'm even more protective of you. But then, to find out that the woman I am destined to be with is _human…"_

"I'm sorry, Edward," I cried. I hated that I couldn't be what he needed me to be. Not yet anyway. I _needed_ this final year of my humanity.

"No, love," he blanched. "That's _not_ what I meant. Don't you ever apologise for being you. I was just trying to show you _why_ I plan for every eventuality… why I'm so maddeningly overbearing and protective. If you stopped loving me tomorrow, you would eventually move on and fall in love again. You could go to college, grow up, get married and have children. You could date and shop around until you found someone you wanted to settle down with. But Bella, you have to understand that I will _never_ have that option. There will only ever be _you_ and if I mess this up, I'll have nothing left. I get no do overs and no second chances. Nothing and no one could ever take the place of my soul mate."

I inhaled a shaky breath and tried to wrap my head around his heartfelt admission. We had touched on this subject briefly, but he had never been so frank with me. I had known that vampires often sought company with each other before they found their mates. The Denali coven were proof of that - but Edward had never even entertained the idea. He had always been perfectly content to live his life alone - until he found me… and now that he _had_ found me, he could never be interested in another. It was daunting to say the least.

"Why didn't you tell me this before, Edward?" I whispered.

"I _know_ you, Bella. You would have added it to your ever-growing list of reasons why we're perfect for each other. It would have been just another weapon in your arsenal for our circular argument over your mortality. I needed you to be _sure_ of me, love… because once you're changed, it will be _you _that gets no do overs and no second chances. I needed you to be certain… without any pressure or influence from me. It was important to me, Bella. I wanted you to want me, the very same way that I want you. I had to wait until you were certain. I won't pressure you into this, Bella."

"So you understand, then?" I questioned. "You realise that I feel the same way about you?"

"I do," he whispered. "…and that was the hardest part of watching you _die_, Bella. Knowing that I could finally have everything I've ever wanted and watching it being taken from me. It was more than I could stand."

So here we were. This was the moment that would completely define our relationship. Edward was going to explain the last few weeks to me and my reaction to his confession would be the pinnacle of our connection. I vowed to myself to trust him and love him, no matter what he told me next.

"The blood sample," I prompted. His face crumpled and I knew that he was thinking the same thing that I was. He needed me to forgive him, to love him through this mess.

"Your blood was laced with my venom," he whispered. "We're talking about microscopic amounts, Bella. It wouldn't have even been visible to the human eye. As soon as the blood was in the vial and out of your body, the venom began to spread. The sample was defenceless now. It had no way to fight my venom once it was separated from you. For three days, we watched as the venom spread through the tiny syringe. Eventually it solidified, like it would have done if we had changed you."

"But why didn't it spread _inside_ my body? If there was venom in my blood, why didn't I change into a vampire?" I asked in confusion.

"Carlisle believes that your theory was correct, love. My secretions _do _contain trace amount of venom. He thinks that the venom entered your blood stream the first time that we made love. Maybe when your hymen broke? We're not entirely sure without more testing, but to be honest, I wasn't about to do an internal examination on you while you were in so much pain."

"But wouldn't you have smelled the blood? If I had a small tear, wouldn't you have known?"

"I broke through your _hymen_ Bella. I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between the two scents. Both contain blood."

"Okay," I whispered. I filed that piece of information away and prompted him to continue. "So? What happened? Why didn't I change into a vampire?" I glanced down to double check that I was in fact still human. Edward chuckled and ruffled my hair sweetly.

"We're talking about _trace_ amounts of venom, Bella. Not to be crude, but it's the only way I can think to explain it. The venom seemed to be _diluted_ to some extent. It wasn't enough to change you – not in the usual way at least. It was nothing compared to the venom that flows when we bite."

"Then why was I able to run so quickly? Edward, all of my senses were enhanced. The venom must have been doing _something._ It wasn't just idle in my bloodstream."

"You can't think of them as enhancements, Bella. They were symptoms." He rubbed his hands over his face and moved closer to me. "When you have a cold, you may have a sore throat or a headache. Maybe you'll spend all day sneezing or blowing your nose, yes?"

I nodded and blew out a short pant of breath. "Symptoms of an infection," I agreed.

"That's exactly the point I'm trying to make, love. This was quite literally an infection. My venom entered your bloodstream and acted as it usually would. It spread and multiplied until eventually you began to develop symptoms."

"The enhanced speed and strength. My ability to heal…"

"Exactly. But as I said, this _wasn't_ potent venom, love. It was slower and weaker. Your body treated it as an infection and began to fight it."

"How?" It seemed impossible to me that any human could ever begin to fight off the venom of a vampire.

"With difficulty," he whispered. "…and through no fault of your own. From the blood sample we took, we were able to watch your white blood cells isolate the tiny traces of venom. It was fascinating to see it. They clumped the venom together and literally tried to ingest it. Well, at least they did for a few moments, but blood doesn't survive long outside the body unless it's properly stored. Eventually the blood cells died and the venom was able to spread with no interference, even though it was weak and diluted. There was nothing to fight it now, so it won out."

I shuffled in confusion. This was all so much to take in, even though Edward was explaining it to me in simple terms, it still seemed unbelievably complex.

"But my heart stopped beating," I whispered. "If my body was fighting the venom, why did my heart stop?"

Edward let out a single sob and buried his face into my hair, almost as if he couldn't look at me while he spoke. "You had a fever, Bella" he whispered. "…an incredibly high fever. Normally, if a patient's temperature is particularly high, a doctor will do everything that they can to suppress it. Too much heat isn't good for the brain, love. Eventually it can cause full brain damage and the patient becomes unresponsive. We tried to cool you down," he murmured.

"That's a bad thing? Protecting me from brain damage is a bad thing?" I asked, nonplussed.

"You fever was dangerously high and we thought that we were doing the right thing. We didn't know what you were even fighting. Your body was trying to destroy the venom in any way that it could and your blood cells were doing their part, but the fever was what finished them. Your body literally _cooked_ the infection, killing it off completely. But we didn't _know_ that, Bella. We thought that you had picked up some sort of tropical disease. We placed cold compresses on every inch of your skin in an attempt to cool you down. Your fever cooled, but we hadn't helped you. All we had done was trapped your body in limbo. The venom couldn't spread because your blood cells had it trapped… but at the same time, your blood cells weren't strong enough to destroy the venom alone. Your body reached a stale mate and eventually gave up. It wasn't strong enough to fight the virus indefinitely. So you see, Bella… it _is_ my fault. Firstly with my venom and then when I cooled you down…. I _killed_ you. Twice."

"No, Edward! My heart may have stopped beating, but it was only for a moment. I'm still here with you... unless, there _are_ lingering health problems that I don't know about?" I asked tensely.

"No, love," he insisted, shaking his head earnestly. "As soon as we removed the cold compresses, your fever returned and your body killed off the traces of venom. Carlisle says that you're fine now. We checked your blood and couldn't find any traces of my venom in it. You should be completely back to normal, though you will need to take it easy for a while. We were just waiting for you to wake up."

"Then why were you so worried about my heart. Was it damaged when it stopped beating? I don't understand…."

"Your heart is fine, love," he insisted in a rush. "I'm so sorry for scaring you so much, I was just so worried. It literally only stopped beating for a few moments. Carlisle doesn't think that you have suffered any permanent damage. We can hear it beating and it sounds absolutely normal."

"Only a few moments?" I confirmed. "How strange. I was in the meadow for an entire night."

His entire body shook with uncontrolled emotion and I pulled him into my arms as quickly as I could, instantly regretting my reminder of what I had been through. I rubbed soothing circles across his back and waited for him to calm down. Eventually, his sobs quietened and he raised his face from my neck and finally met my eyes.

"Please, Bella… please forgive me. I know that I must be all out of chances now, but I am _begging_ you for one more. Please allow me to stay with you. I won't put you in any danger from now on, I _swear_ it."

"You can't blame yourself for this, Edward. We didn't know that this was even possible. If we had, we would have been more careful. You would never do anything to hurt me intentionally. I know that better than anyone. Don't you know by now that I'm in this even if it costs me my life? I thought I had made that clear the first time you took me to the meadow. I knew the risks then and I know them now… and they're worth it, Edward. You're worth it."

"I absolutely do not deserve you, Isabella Swan," he whispered. His sobs had quietened and he was looking at me with a mixture of love and awe all wrapped up into one. "We all know it, yet you seem to be the only one who can't see it… and I'm so grateful for that fact."

He rolled me over in the bed so that he lay on top of me, though I couldn't feel any of his weight.

"You're my siren call, Bella. From the very first moment that I laid eyes on you, you ensnared me completely. Your beautiful, silent mind captivated me in a way that I hadn't thought possible. You became a riddle to me. Something I desperately wanted to unravel."

He pressed a small kiss to my temple and I melted into the bed, simply basking in his soothing kisses.

"… and then I caught my very first hint of your scent, love... and it was torturous. I needed that aroma, Bella. I needed it like you need air to breathe. Freesias," he moaned. His nose ran along the edge of my jaw and I curled my hands into his unruly hair. "…and strawberries," he sighed. "It's mouth-watering, Bella. You have no idea what it does to me."

"But those were only the things that drew me to you, Bella. It's _you_ who holds me. Your scent and silent mind were merely the siren call I needed to find you in the crowd… and once I found you, I knew that I couldn't let you go."

Useless tears filled my eyes and I wiped them away in a huff. Why did my eyes always insist on clouding their own vision? It was infuriating… especially when the view in question happened to be of Edward Cullen.

"If you can find it in your heart to forgive my stupidity, I vow to never endanger you like that again, Bella. I _will_ keep you safe, love. My life is in your hands and I can only hope that you'll allow me to stay by your side. Please, love? Permit me to have this year with you."

"…and then forever?" I confirmed.

"Forever," he vowed. I couldn't doubt the obvious sincerity in his voice. He meant every single word he was saying.

"There's nothing to forgive, Edward. It was an accident. A horrible accident, but it's over now," I whispered.

He let out a huge, stuttering breath and dropped his head onto my chest. I watched as his hands gripped the sheets fiercely before he raised his head once more to meet my questioning gaze. His terrified expression melted and gave way to one of absolute vulnerability. His finger idly drew a pattern on the sheet before he seemed to steel his resolve. He nodded minutely and kept his defenseless eyes trained onto mine.

"I've asked so much of you, Bella," he whispered. "But if I may, I have one more thing that I would like to ask of you."

My brow furrowed in confusion. What on earth could he want from me that he couldn't buy for himself?

"Anything," I vowed. His eyes melted and his expression became even more helpless, if it were even possible.

"Do you really mean that, Bella? Would you do anything? Even after everything I've put you through?" His eyes scanned mine rapidly as I considered his question. He seemed to be growing increasingly impatient as he waited for my answer. His breath quickened as I opened my mouth to reply, as if he was terrified of my response.

"I would do anything for you," I confirmed in a whisper. "I love you, Edward."

He stilled completely and grasped my face between his cool hands. He blew out a long, stuttering breath and locked his eyes onto mine in a gaze so intense, that I withered completely.

"Marry me, Bella."

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**AN: Phew! I think that I may have some nerve damage from all that typing! I'll be updating again in a few days!**


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